In June 2025, representatives from the HCA-II global team and Fondation Botnar visited projects in Da Nang and Quang Nam, Vietnam. The visit was an opportunity to engage with the two HCA-II projects, as well as to explore connections across Fondation Botnar projects in these locations.
Events during the visit spotlighted how adolescents and youth are taking active roles in shaping their cities toward more inclusive and sustainable futures. In Tam Ky and Hoi An, the team attended multi-stakeholder workshops organised by HCA-II’s Green Citizens – Healthy Cities project co-implemented by Live & Learn and local partners. The first of these was a co-design workshop on eco-tourism development in the Dam River area. School students engaged with local residents, NGOs and government representatives to explore opportunities and propose new ideas to promote local nature and culture – including guided nature trails and biodiversity exhibitions.
The second of these, in Hoi An, was a youth-led forum on waste management brought together students, teachers, and waste collectors to identify practical, community-based environmental solutions. Young participants showcased impressive creativity and commitment, proposing initiatives such as better waste sorting systems, greenhouse redesigns, and awareness campaigns.
“In Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of adolescents have already taken part in HCA-II activities across Da Nang, Tam Ky, and Hoi An – and their impact is real. By co-creating solutions alongside local stakeholders, adolescents are helping reimagine what healthier, more sustainable cities can look like,” Hanh Le Bich, HCA-II In-Country Manager in Vietnam said.
In Da Nang, the Co-Creating Healthy Cities for Adolescents and Youth project organised a learning webinar to reflect on activities co-developed between consortium partners UNICEF and VNUK. Youth shared their experiences as co-creators of change and called for inclusive, tech-enabled, and youth-friendly cities.
“What we witnessed through the work of our two projects was really encouraging – young people not passively participating but actively engaging in shaping their cities. Their creativity and energy for this work was evident. This is exactly what we want to be supporting and fostering through HCA-II’, Sarah McMillan, HCA-II Team Leader noted.
“We are also excited to see the potential linkages between HCA projects and other Fondation Botnar initiatives in Vietnam, such as Promoting Youth and Community Innovation for City Sustainable Development (UN-Habitat), Empowering Youth for Livable Cities (AIP Foundation), and Trailblazing NCD Prevention Education with Youth-Driven Technologies (PATH Vietnam),” Hanh Le Bich added. “Because we share common goals, we can complement and support each other’s work to enhance adolescent engagement in the development of sustainable, healthy cities.”
The HCA-II programme, funded by Fondation Botnar and managed by Ecorys, continues to amplify adolescent voices across Vietnam through collaborative, localised action.
