Development Ratings

There is an estimated 26,027 children working in hazardous conditions in Vietnam, of which 17,927 are so-called street children. These numbers probably underestimate the extent of the problem in a country which has seen a large rural to urban migration as a result of economic development. The street children do not have full knowledge of their rights and are often unaware of the dangers they face. Some are professional beggars and others commit crimes individually or in gangs. There is little government statistics or interest in a problem which exists and which is overlooked by the mainstream development work in the country. There are 1.2 million children with disabilities in Vietnam and it is estimated that 1.4 million children live below the poverty line. There are over 400 formally identified victims of domestic trafficking in Vietnam annually – a number that merely reflects reported cases.

Blue Dragon tackles a problem which no other international NGOs in Vietnam dare to tackle.