Đỗ Nguyễn Kim, from Chợ Vàm Secondary School, An Giang Province, took a walk for the "Youth Action for Liveable Cities: Inter-Provincial Online Walking Challenge 2026". — Photo courtesy of AIP Foundation

VĨNH LONG/AN GIANG — Students across the two southern provinces of Vĩnh Long and An Giang took an important step forward for safer, greener mobility and more liveable communities via the "Youth Action for Liveable Cities: Inter-Provincial Online Walking Challenge 2026," which took place during August.

Organised by AIP Foundation in collaboration with the local Departments of Education and Training, the Youth Unions of Vĩnh Long and An Giang provinces, and the Department of Construction of An Giang Province, the challenge encouraged students to adopt healthy and environmentally friendly mobility habits while contributing to safer roads in their communities.

The competition is a part of the Empowering Youth for Liveable Cities programme (2024–2027), supported by the FIA Foundation and Fondation Botnar. Building on the AI&Me: Empowering Youth for Safer Roads programme (2021–2024), it expands youth engagement from HCM City, Pleiku, and Yên Bái to Vĩnh Long and An Giang, placing young people at the centre of conversations about safer, more sustainable urban mobility.

This expansion was also led by the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) via support from Google.org, and implemented in Việt Nam by AIP Foundation.

Through a big data screening approach that combines AI, satellite imagery, and 360-degree street view analysis, the initiative identified high-risk provinces and school zones across Việt Nam, helping guide the selection of Vĩnh Long and An Giang as focus localities for this challenge.

Open to lower secondary and high school students, the competition invited participants to walk at least 10km while utilising the vRace platform. To validate their participation, students also submitted road infrastructure observations through the Youth Engagement App (YEA), an enhanced version of the app also supported as part of the work funded by Google.org, helping to identify locations that may require safety improvements.

The First Prize of the Walking Campaign was awarded to Võ Nguyễn Minh Khôi, a student from Vĩnh Phúc Secondary School, Vĩnh Long Province (Male – Secondary school ranking); Đỗ Nguyễn Kim from Chợ Vàm Secondary School, An Giang Province (Female – Secondary School ranking); Châu Hoàng Danh from Hòn Đất High School, An Giang Province (Male – High School ranking) and Nguyễn Ngọc Lan Anh from Lạc Long Quân High School, Vĩnh Long Province (Female - High School ranking), for outstanding participation in the challenge and active contribution to promoting safe and sustainable mobility.

“Engaging in sports not only helps me improve my physical health and build a resilient mindset, but it also fosters my overall physical well-being. Furthermore, it allows me to meet and connect with peers who share the same passion and dedication to sports,” one of the winners, Nguyễn Ngọc Lan Anh, said.

“I find the YEA app to be highly valuable, as it enables young people to share opinions, provide feedback, and report road hazards, thereby alerting others to potential traffic risks. At the same time, the app bridges the gap between the public and the authorities, facilitating timely solutions and contributing to enhanced road safety and efficiency,” Lan Anh added.

Students make pins of safe/unsafe locations for walking on the Youth Engagement App (YEA). — Photo courtesy of the AIP Foundation

Overall, the campaign has engaged a total of 1,935 students, who shared 5,739 pins on the YEA platform and collectively covered approximately 63,087km. In recognition of their participation and achievements, 120 individual awards and 7 school awards were presented.

The initiative combined active mobility with digital innovation, enabling young people to contribute directly to discussions on road safety and urban development.

"Young people are essential partners in creating healthier, more inclusive and resilient cities. Initiatives like this challenge recognise young people's right to participate by creating opportunities to share their perspectives and contribute to local decision-making," Education Portfolio Lead at Fondation Botnar Ross Hall remarked.

"Raising young people's awareness of safe pedestrian behaviour is essential for building a safer traffic culture. The competition encouraged students to form safe walking habits while confidently sharing their views on local traffic conditions. Through this, they became active champions for road safety in their communities," Deputy Director of the An Giang Department of Education and Training Huỳnh Văn Hoá said.

"The Vĩnh Long Department of Education and Training always encourages activities that foster students' holistic development in knowledge, skills, and civic responsibility. The competition provided an opportunity for students to cultivate safe pedestrian habits, proactively share their perspectives on traffic realities, and contribute to building a safer community. We believe this initiative helped nurture a responsible and proactive younger generation," Deputy Director of the Vĩnh Long Department of Education and Training Trịnh Văn Ngoan stated.

Throughout July and August, a series of communication activities, educational materials, and social media campaigns promoted green mobility, pedestrian safety, youth leadership, and community engagement.

"Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of sustainable mobility and purpose-built, user-led infrastructure makes movement safer, more equitable, and more sustainable. By encouraging young people to walk, observe, and share their experiences, this initiative helped generate valuable insights that can support safer and more inclusive urban environments," Aggie Krasnolucka, FIA Foundation Programmes Director, noted.

All participants who completed the challenge received electronic certificates, alongside individual and school-level awards recognizing achievement and engagement.

"The future of our cities depends on the active participation of young people. When youth are empowered to walk, observe, speak up, and co-create solutions, they become powerful agents of change. This challenge ensured their voices were heard and valued in building safer, healthier, and more liveable communities for everyone," Mirjam Sidik, CEO of AIP Foundation, said. — VNS