Lara Vu, a Vietnamese-American woman, is currently holding the position of Partnership Specialist and in charge of UNICEF Vietnam Office in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. Lara Vu at an event of UNICEF and partners

Can you share a little about your life before you started working for UNICEF in Vietnam?

I left Vietnam when I was 2 years old, grew up in America and then returned here.

Did your family have any comments when you returned to Vietnam?

Previously, my parents did not encourage me to pursue the field of Public Health.

What do you find most difficult at work?

My mission is to develop partnerships between UNICEF and the private sector.

The biggest challenge I face at work is being patient.

Your work must be very busy, so how does your family feel?

My luck is to have a husband who understands, shares and is willing to support.

It is known that UNICEF is implementing the Believe in ZERO campaign. Can you tell more about this campaign?

Believe in ZERO is a global campaign that encourages society to take action so that no more children die from preventable causes.

Part of this major campaign is the campaign to end violence against children in Vietnam.

Overall, how do you assess the situation of children’s rights in Vietnam?

Very few people know that Vietnam is the second country in the world to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this is a huge step forward that Vietnamese people should be proud of.

On the other hand, economic development does not mean that everyone is going up, but there will be groups of people left behind for many reasons such as migration or regional income gaps.

In short, we must be alert to see new problems and find new solutions.

Thank you for today’s conversation!

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