October 12, 2011 marks an important date for the Dien Mon commune of the Phong Dien district, one out of six project areas SRD is currently working with in Thua Thien-Hue, as their People with Disabilities (PWD) Association was formed. This association has evolved from the self-help group that SRD assisted in creating as part of the Support to People with Disability in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam project.
Board Members of the Dien Mon PWD Association
These self-help groups have assisted PWD with many aspects of their lives through agricultural skills training, access to a livelihood development fund, medical equipment and rehabilitation networks. Through sharing experiences and transferring knowledge during meetings, these self-help groups have given PWD the opportunity to form a community building their confidence, integrating them with the rest of their community and enhancing their social life along with their well-being. This has also empowered the PWD of the Dien Mon commune giving them the ability to stand up for themselves and advocate their needs to others within their community.
Members of the PWD Association voting for Board Members
The PWD Association provides the same opportunities and services as the self-help group but it will now be legally recognized and backed up with a legal framework through its constitution. With the PWD Association in the Dien Mon commune, members are empowered taking on the responsibility of operating and managing the group. Along with the constitution, this also ensures the longevity and efficiency of the association. Although the leaders and members that are in possession of the livelihood development fund must adhere to the constitution, they are also accountable to other members of the group. Thus, the PWD Association in the Dien Mon commune has truly encompassed all of SRD's core values of ownership, sustainability, equity, accountability and efficiency.
The formation of this association also could not have come at a better time since this project is coming to a close at the end of December this year. Although the project period will end, the formation of this association ensures the sustainability of the project as the members of the PWD Association in Dien Mon can still carry on with the same activities executed through the self-help group model SRD has assisted in creating. This may be the end of the project for SRD, but for the PWD in Dien Mon, this association has marked just the beginning of a very bright future.
-SRD-
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
