On June 17th , 2019 The Center for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) coordinated with District People's Committee of Gio Linh to organize an annual workshop on the project "Empowering People with Disabilities (PWDs) -VM064", 2018- 2019 funded by Caritas Australia and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Attending the seminar, there were nearly 80 members representing the leaders of the District People's Committee, the Project Steering Committee, leaders of People's Committees and representatives of PWDs and parents of disabled children in 07 project communes and related partners.
Over a year of implementing new internal force-based approach and two new communes, there were 1709 direct beneficiaries and 5127 indirect beneficiaries including adults - disabled children and relatives in seven communes of Gio My and Gio Hai, Gio Linh, Trung Hai, Trung Son, Gio Phong and Gio Chau districts belong to Gio Linh district.
At the workshop, representatives of clubs of people with disabilities shared and appreciated the activities of building capacity and confidence so that PwD and their relatives could actively participate in the activities of the community. Specifically, home visit activities have enabled more than 60% of people with mobility impairments and children with cerebral palsy and mental retardation to improve. The activities of including PwD in disaster risk reduction have gradually helped change habits from passive to proactive response and participation in the disaster risk reduction planning process in the community. Livelihood activities created capital and knowledge in place for people with disabilities and relatives to access and apply income generating activities which was suitable with the capacity and conditions of people with disabilities, especially poor households.
In addition, the exchange and sharing of activities with other localities helped people with disabilities to gain experience in managing and operating their groups as well as in doing household and group economic. The playing and learning community activities land sexual abuse prevention for children with disabilities were very meaningful, timely and practical; absolutely creating trust and motivation for young parents and CwD to integrate into life and learning opportunities for children step by step.
“People with disabilities are people who are not fortunate compared to others in the community. After one year of joining the project, the number of participants in Gio Phong club have increased from 32 people to 106 people. They used to be unconfident, they rarely went out and attended meetings but now they have been more and more involved and became more confident and proactive. It is a very clear change that I want to emphasize”. Mr. Nguyen Duc Sam, Chairman of People's Committee of Gio Phong Commune, said.
Responding to the feedback on the idea that the project should be expanded to one or two more communes in the next year so that more people with disabilities in other communes can access and participate in order to improve their status in the community; Mr. Duong Duc Hanh, Vice Chairman of District People's Committee of Gio Linh and Head of the Steering Committee of the project agreed with the evaluation of results of the past year activities that considerably linked disabled people to each other and with the community. However, the Steering Committee will discuss with the Center of SRD to decide to expand some communes in width but also need to pay attention to the depth of intervention and activities’s content. Currently, the rate of 7/21 communes that have been participating in the project is quite guaranteed.
At the end of the workshop, Ms. Nguyen Kim Ngan, Executive Director of SRD expressed her pleasure with the project results, the support of local authorities at all levels, and affirmed that it was the motivation for the Center to continue the project more deeply and broadly to empower PWDs. The Center of SRD expects closer and more effective cooperation from the District People's Committee of Gio Linh and related parties in the coming years”.
Panoramas photos of the worksop
Representatives shared at the workshop
Mrs. Nguyen Kim Ngan and Mr. Duong Duc Hanh chaired the workshop
Representatives participated in the worrkshop
Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
No.31, Alley 19 Kim Dong Street, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi
Phone: +84 24 3943 6676/78 | Fax: +84 24 3943 6449
