On April 17th, the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) collaborated with the Trieu Thanh Commune People’s Committee to organise a community event comprising of different activities to celebrate Vietnam’s Day for People with Disabilities, within the scope of the “Together We Can” project funded by Caritas Australia and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). There were over 280 members from the three clubs of people with disabilities as well as representatives from the committees in Trieu Thanh, Trieu Tai, Trieu Thuan communes and Trieu Phong District in attendance at this event.

The activities were organised into three parts for the three participating clubs for people with disabilities, the first was a community art performance to introduce the club with associated project activities; the second was a knowledge competition with multiple choice selection focused on child protection and injury prevention, gender and reproductive health care at teenager-age period, inclusive disaster risk management; and the final activity was a folk game competition.

In addition to these activities, performances were also welcomed from the three different clubs, there was also a questions and answers exchange between the clubs on the topics of inclusive disaster risk management, the law on Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and their impressions on the changes that have occurred as a result of their participation in SRD projects over the past years.

"I have been participating in many activities organized by this project, of which I found this community communication event to be the most interesting because it is a great chance for many people with disabilities and caregivers to take part in art performance, knowledge and folk games competitions by ourselves. We felt connected and more confident.”

“The communication event is extremely meaningful with different activities that enabled and mobilized people with disabilities and caregivers from three communes to participate and meet one another.”

“The communication event was well organized with active participation and reflected the real inclusion of everyone. It also helped increasingly to actively integrate and contribute to the implementation and monitoring of the Law on People with Disabilities, with the goal of realizing the rights of people with disabilities, so that people with disabilities can improve their capabilities, gradually removing barriers, and to participate equally and integrate into social activities.”