MCNV – For health and development in South East Asia

19 doctors graduate from the second six-month course on basic rehabilitation

Congratulations to the 19 doctors from the provinces of Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Nam, and Kon Tum for completing the 6-month training course on Basic Rehabilitation. Certificates of Training in Specialized Medical Examination and Treatment Techniques were conferred to them on April 12th, 2024, in the course closing ceremony.

Certificate of Completion awarded to 19 doctors

The training course was conducted by MCNV in collaboration with the Bach Mai Institute for Training and Research in Medicine and Pharmacy and the Bach Mai Hospital Rehabilitation Center, as part of the Inclusion 1 and Inclusion 2 Project.

The course consisted of 43 lessons covering the fundamentals of rehabilitation for common diseases, with a total number of 1056 credit hours, in which practical sessions accounted for 80%.

Dr. Hoang Nhat Quang Thai (Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital of Thua Thien Hue Province) spoke at the closing ceremony.

On behalf of the class, Dr. Hoang Nhat Quang Thai (Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital of Thua Thien Hue Province) spoke highly of his learning experience. According to him, the participants were exposed to a wide range of diseases, treatment methods, patient care skills and medical procedures. “The knowledge we gained from the course will serve as a strong foundation for further specialized training, improve our practice and hence benefit persons with disabilities with high-quality and hoslistic rehabiliation services”, he emphasized.

This is the second time MCNV has collaborated with Bach Mai Hospital to organize a 6-month training course on basic rehabilitation for doctors.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Giap, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital, speaks at the event.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Giap, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital, the increasingly effective collaboration between MCNV and Bach Mai Hospital will contribute to enhance technology transfer and knowledge sharing between Bach Mai Hospital and local healthcare facilities, not only in the North but also in the Central, Central Highlands, especially remote areas of Vietnam. The sharing of knowledge and skills will benefit patients and persons with disabilities in remote areas since they can get access to quality medical services right in their localities.

*The course closing ceremony was attended by Mr. Tran Duc Hung, Deputy Director of the National Action Center for Toxic Chemical and Environmental Treatment (NACCET); Mr. Anthony Kolb, Deputy Director of the Reconciliation and Inclusive Development Office (USAID), Dr. Tran Hung Minh (Director of the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), Ms. Truong Hien Anh (Deputy Director of Humanity and Inclusion), Mr.Pham Dung (MPH, MD), MCNV Country Director, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Van Giap, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital, Assoc.Prof. Dr. Luong Tuan Khanh, Director of Bach Mai Rehabilitation Center, and Dr. Vu Van Nhan, Deputy Director of the Bach Mai Institute for Training and Research in Medicine and Pharmacy.

About Inclusion 1 & Inclusion 2 Project:

– Sponsor: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

– Owner: National Action Center for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET)

– Manager: CCIHP (Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population) and Humanity & Inclusion Vietnam

– Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam (MCNV) is one of the implementing partners for several objectives of the Project, including rehabilitation capacity building.

2024: Special school and multi-rehabilitation center in Binh Dinh

In 2000, MCNV worked for the first time in the Dak Lak province to establish a special school for children with disabilities. A great adventure that turned out very well. The school, essentially a multi-rehabilitation center, turned out to be a perfect fit with the province’s request for children with disabilities to go to school. Not only that, they could also live there and play and live together with other children. The children came from poor families and lived in more remote villages where there is nothing for children with disabilities.

The positive news spread and other provinces asked MCNV to help realise a multi-rehabilitation center. This is how three more were created. It turned out to be the solution for children who had never gone to school before. It was a starting point for them to gain a place in society. The Vietnamese provincial government sees the importance of these centers and supports them as much as possible.

2024: Special school and multi-rehabilitation center in Binh Dinh

Last year, the Hy Vong special school in Binh Dinh asked if we could help ‘transform’ the special school into a multi-rehabilitation center for children with severe sight and hearing impairment, where parents can also go for help and advice. Based on the experience and knowledge we have gained in other provinces, we can contribute to a better life for the children in Binh Dinh.

Give children the right education, in a nice place where they can play and learn!

Binh Dinh is a province on the south-central coast of Vietnam, with a population of 300,000. It is one of the provinces in Vietnam that were heavily bombarded by the US Air Force with the poisonous defoliant Agent Orange during the war. The consequences of this – misbirths and disabilities – are still visible. According to official figures, there are more than 3,000 children with disabilities in Binh Dinh.
One of the most effective approaches to reducing the impact of Agent Orange is to focus assistance on services, such as health, education and social services, that aim to improve the quality of life of children and adults with disabilities to improve.

It’s possible in Binh Dinh!

Every year, Hy Vong School receives 160 to 180 children with disabilities between the ages of six and 16 from across the province. MCNV has been supporting children, teachers and parents for several years to ensure that children learn to read and write and can play with peers. Exchanging experiences is very important for parents so that they feel less alone and can learn from each other how to deal with daily care. They also learn to deal with the stigmas that make their children’s lives more difficult. Since September last year, visually impaired and blind children have also been welcome at the school.

Taking a big step forward

Providing care and education to such a large number of children with disabilities is a difficult task for teachers, caregivers and the school director. As in other provinces in Vietnam, most children come from poor families. The circumstances in which they live leave little room to devote attention and money to health and education. In addition, the provincial government does not have sufficient resources to invest in the school. Another point of attention is the poor condition and lack of all kinds of teaching materials and equipment. In order to achieve positive results, the school wants (and must) make a significant step forward in terms of quality.

The Hy Vong school has asked MCNV to help make this step. This concerns:

Creating specific care for the children so that they can actually follow their education;
Improving the knowledge and skills of management and teachers to provide ‘tailor-made’ care and education to children with disabilities;
Improving the knowledge and skills of teachers in regular schools in the areas of early detection, early intervention and inclusive education for children with disabilities;
Cooperation and coordination between special schools and regular education in Binh Dinh so that children with disabilities can also attend regular schools.

What is needed for this?

Learning aids, such as Braille books for blind children and visual learning aids for children with hearing and intellectual disabilities;
Meals for the children.
Continuing training for teachers, employees and management.
Advanced training for teachers in regular schools in the field of dealing with children with disabilities.
Transforming Hy Vong Special School into a multi-rehabilitation center so that more children with disabilities and their parents can receive support.

Price Waterhouse Cooper-Vietnam (PWC) has financially supported the school until 2023. There is still some money left, but it is not enough to continue the activities in 2024 and 2025. That is why we ask you to contribute to the step that the Hy Vong school wants to take.

Thank you in advance for your (extra) donation.

Warm greetings from Hanoi,

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thủy

MCNV program coordinator and educational expert

Graduation of second cohort of Master of Speech and Language Therapy

March 21, 2024 – Following the success of the first cohort of Master of Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), the second cohort of the Master of Speech and Language Therapy (HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy) program was concluded successfully.

The second cohort of Master’s program in SALT commenced in February, 2022, opening a new journey for 12 students who were working professionals at rehabilitation departments of various hospitals and training institutions in the South and Central Vietnam.

In addition to the team of lecturers and specialized advisors from leading universities and medical units in Vietnam, the second MSALT cohort also largely benefited from the support of the first cohort MSALT, who served as teaching assistants.

Vice Head of HCMC UMP Faculty of the Nursing and Medical Technology, Dr.Tran Thuy Khanh Linh, MCNV Country Director, MD, MPH. Pham Dung, and Ms.Nguyen Thanh Thuy – SALT Project Coordinator and the second MSALT cohort.

Reflecting on the memorable journey, on behalf of the second cohort of MSALT, Ms.Minh Chau (Rehabilitation Department, An Binh Hospital), in her graduation speech, expressed heartfelt thanks to MCNV, HCMC UMP and all the lecturers and mentors:

“We have been through countless challenges during our study days: stressful exam hours, difficulties in collecting and processing research data. Nonetheless, with relentless effort and the best support from MCNV and the Board of Rectors of HCM UMP, the instructors from the Rehabilitation Department and our mentors, we have overcome all and have completed the program with better results than expected.”

On this occasion, a cordial congratulations gathering was held by MCNV to celebrate the graduation of the 12 new MSALTs.

The first cohort of SALT Master program was conducted as part of the project “Development of Speech and Language Therapy Education in Vietnam” by MCNV, under the “Disabilities Integration of Services and Therapies Network for Capacity and Treatment” (DISTINCT) project by VietHealth funded by USAID Vietnam. Trinh Foundation Australia (TFA) participates in this project as a technical consulting partner to MCNV.
Following that success, MCNV continued the effort to mobilize funding and cooperating with TFA to maintain the support for HCMC UMP in admitting students and organizing the second cohort (2021-2023).
In the time to come, MCNV will discuss further with our partners on planning for upcoming Speech Therapy master’s courses.

On this occasion, MCNV would like to thank TFA Board members and all of the dedicated international and Vietnamese lecturers and mentors from overseas and Vietnam, who have been contributed tremendously to the success of the second cohort. This new achievement has filled us with tremendous confidence in our continual fruitful cooperation, to further contribute to the development of SALT in particular and rehabilitation services in Vietnam in general./.

Dutch Ambassador hails the support of MCNV for Quang Tri

Ambassador Kees van Baar and MCNV Chief of Representative Office, MD.MPH.Pham Dung at MCNV’s museum (Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province).

(March 7^th, 2024) – MCNV is honored to welcome the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Vietnam, HE Kees van Baar in his visit to MCNV’s project sites in Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district, Quang Tri province.

Visit to a community-manage natural forest in Chenh Venh village, Quang Tri province.

During the trip, the Ambassador visited the agroforestry coffee model (Xa Ry village) and the management and protection of community natural forests (Chenh Venh village).

The Ambassador highly appreciated MCNV’s initiatives in supporting ethnic minority communities in the locality in implementing sustainable forest management along with livelihood development, promote non-timber forest product value chains, improve forest ecosystem services, agroforestry coffee plantation, etc.

Ambassador Kees van Baar visits agroforestry coffee model in Xa Ry village (Quang Tri province)

The Ambassador also visited MCNV’s Office and Memorial House in Dong Ha City to gain insights into the long-standing ties between MCNV and Quang Tri province.

As part of the visit, Ambassador Kees van Baar had met with leaders of the provincial People’s Committee and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

At the meeting with the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Mr. Vo Van Hung, Ambassador Kees van Baar expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the people in the project site supported by MCNV in overcoming difficulties to strive toward a better life.

The Ambassador expressed his hope that the Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee will continue to create favorable conditions for MCNV to effectively implement project activities in the province.

Quang Tri provincial People’s Committee, Mr.Vo Van Hung (right) receives Ambassador Kees van Baar.

Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Hung, for his part, spoke highly of the valuable cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands in general, between Quang Tri and the Netherlands in particular. He hailed the contribution of various Dutch NGOs, including MCNV for Quang Tri that has brought about significant transformation to the province in multiple aspects, ranging from healthcare, social integration, to community livelihood development, sustainable forest management, response to climate change, etc.

Mr.Vo Van Hung expressed his expectation that the Dutch government will strengthen the support for the province in establishing and increasing the connections with Dutch enterprises and investors to explore more cooperation opportunities between Quang Tri and the Netherlands, as well as support MCNV in fundraising to gather better resources to implement projects more effectively./.

Magazine Q4 – 2023

Magazine_2023_4

PROSPER project: Looking back on a journey

The project “Promoting sustainable partnerships between CSOs and enterprises for sustainable forest management in the context of climate change” (PROSPER project) is co-funded by the European and MCNV and implemented in Quang Tri province, Vietnam.

This video summarizes key results of the project after 3 years of implementation (2020-2023), including good models and practices applied for smallholder and community forest owners involved in long rotation timber plantations and natural forests. Especially, for the first time in Vietnam, FSC certified ecosystem services are granted for natural forests allocated to upland communities for management and protection.

Christmas campaign 2023: emergency plan for clean drinking water in Sepone

In this newsletter we ask your attention to the people living in eight remote villages, high in the mountains in Sepone district. The villages are involved in our Mother & Child-program and with the support of the AFAS Foundation and our MCNV-donors we have been able to achieve a lot over the past two years.

Continue Mother & Child program in 2024

The program will also be continued in 2024 and that is of course very nice. But during the past period, a situation has arisen that we previously had insufficient insight into: the shortage of clean drinking water in both municipalities. Especially the eight higher villages in Sepone

have no wells, no water pumps or they are broken. The women and children have to walk for many hours to get water from the river. But that water is unsuitable for drinking water. From April to November is the dry season and there is very little water in the river.

The little water in the river is not drinkable, it causes diarrhea and other infections, especially for young children, but it is the only water that is available.

Clean water needed for 1766 people

The situation is really severe and that is why we want to provide this emergency aid in the coming months. It would be great if we could dig wells in the eight high-altitude villages, repair water pumps and install a water system so that clean water is available to all people who depend on (dirty) water from the river for months during the dry season

Clean water is a basic requirement for good nutrition and good health. We hope for a total amount of 32,000 euros that is needed for 1766 people living in the eight villages.

We need a significant amount of money, but it is so important to tackle this thoroughly and ensure that our Mother & Child-program is optimally successful!

You can read the whole story on pages 2 and 3.

Thank you very much for your (extra) contribution!

Karin Vlug

Klachtenprocedure

Klachtenprocedure aangepast 14dec23

First time in Vietnam: 2023 Asia Pacific Society of Speech, Language, and Hearing conference

For the first time ever, the Asia Pacific Society of Speech, Language, and Hearing (APSSLH) Bi-annual Conference will be in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from December 14 to 16th, 2023. MCNV is honored to be one of the event sponsors.

The event will be held by APSSLH in partnership with HCMC University/MCNV and Hue University/KOICA.

The theme of the 2023 APSSLH Conference is “Connect: Build a Stronger Network Among Us”.

The APSSLH is a professional organization that is dedicated to supporting researchers, practitioners, and students in Communication Sciences and Disorders and other related fields in the Asia Pacific region.

As the first APSSLH conference to be held in the Southeast Asia region as well as in Vietnam, the Conference aims to build a more robust network to empower Speech and Language Therapists to fulfill their job successfully and support individuals who need speech, language, and hearing services in the Asia Pacific region.

More information: https://apsslhconference.net/

A GREEN GIFT

Thanks to your support, in over the past three years, MCNV has devised and applied groundbreaking methods with the PROSPER project, which has resulted in long-lasting positive effects in Vietnam, including: responsible forest management and CO2 storage, stimulation of the local economy and local tourism initiatives.
We look forward to your support in the time to come, so that we can continue it and focus further on preserving nature and supporting poor farmers.

Pioneering changes in the forest areas of Quang Tri

Dear donors, October 12, 2023

The story in this newsletter was written by Nguyen Thanh Tung, my colleague from Dong Ha. He is a program coordinator and has been working for MCNV for 20 years. He was born and raised in Dong Ha and is very passionate about improving the living conditions of poor families. And he is committed to preserving the forests in Quang Tri province. He can therefore fully express himself in the forestry program (PROSPER).

Since the start of the forestry program in 2020, Tung has seen a change in thinking and doing how farmers want and can preserve the forests, resulting in improving their own income in a structural way and preserving the trees. This may sound simple, but the program consists of so many different aspects and facets that take a lot of time and efforts. How beautiful it is to see these results! “The farmers are convinced that a different approach leads to a better and healthier future for people and nature and that is what matters to us.”

Tung has a lot of contact with Ho Van Chien, head of the Community Forest Management Board of Chenh Venh village. “In the past, locals randomly harvested bamboo and cut down various types of trees. This situation led to deforestation and major risks for people and nature.”
With the help of MCNV, a lot has changed in this area. The forest is better managed and protected. People’s lives have been improved by experimenting with new things that we did not dare to think of before, such as participating in forest certification, developing ecotourism, making bamboo handicrafts and planting suitable trees.”
Our question to you
Over the past three years, MCNV has devised and applied groundbreaking methods with the PROSPER program, resulted in:

• Responsible forest management and CO2 storage
• Stimulation of the local economy
• Local tourism initiatives

We would like to continue this and start new collaborations with local and international partners who share our mission. The continued support of our loyal donors in the Netherlands enables MCNV to achieve long-lasting positive effects in Vietnam with these groundbreaking changes.

Thank you in advance for your (extra) gift.

Xin chao, warm regards also on behalf of Tung from Dong Ha,

Karin Vlug

Blog

19 doctors graduate from the second six-month course on basic rehabilitation

2024: Special school and multi-rehabilitation center in Binh Dinh

2024: Special school and multi-rehabilitation center in Binh Dinh

Graduation of second cohort of Master of Speech and Language Therapy

Dutch Ambassador hails the support of MCNV for Quang Tri

Magazine Q4 – 2023

PROSPER project: Looking back on a journey

Christmas campaign 2023: emergency plan for clean drinking water in Sepone

Klachtenprocedure

First time in Vietnam: 2023 Asia Pacific Society of Speech, Language, and Hearing conference

A GREEN GIFT

Pioneering changes in the forest areas of Quang Tri

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A GREEN GIFT