As usual, the representatives of Caritas Australia (CA) has paid an annual visit to the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) at the latter's office in Hanoi and thereafter to its funded project site in Quang Tri province.
At the meeting with SRD's leaders, having watched the film celebrating the 10th anniversary of SRD, CA representatives also shared its fraud awareness induction as one of its requirements for funding recipient organizations both by CA and DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

Caritas Australia delegation and SRD's staffs

CA thereafter went to visit and to discuss with the local partners and beneficiaries from the project titled "Empower People with Disabilities" implemented in Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province, funded by CA and DFAT via SRD. CA appreciated positive changes and impact brought by the project to the lives of people with disabilities (PWD) and communities of the 5 project communes. For instance, the setting up and development of the PWD clubs since 2012 from 2 groups with more than 50 members to 5 clubs with nearly 300 PWD and CWD caregivers have brought PWD altogether in a common house for not only spiritual improvement but also for other social benefits to enable PWD to overcome their inferiority complex and to open themselves to the inside community and the world outside. In addition, income generation activities introduced by the project helped stabilize revenue of the PWD and their families and promote their confidence in mutual support among themselves as well as in moving onward with empowerment and better voice and of course with barriers behind.

With PWD cooperative in burning incense production

Visit PWD household with income generation support

Seeing changes and impact brought by the project, CA representatives appreciated SRD's good work with PWD and current supporting structure in the area. However, CA recommended that women having disabilities or child with disabilities should be more proactive in holding and/or taking leading positions in PWD groups/clubs that given by the PWD and community though sharing with women family burden. Furthermore, CA representatives also emphasized the necessity of PWD Association, if successfully advocated and established, meaning it will have legal status and thus will open up opportunities for PWD exercise their rights as citizens in all aspects of social, economic and political life; as well as access to available funding sources for their ownership in the operation and development of their association, for the sake of theirs and of the entire community.