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./.

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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 7th, 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./.

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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.

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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/

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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

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Fostering connection for cooperation

In the context of the “Boosting income and jobs for poor ethnic women in Dong Xuan district” (BIJPO) project, MCNV, in collaboration with partners in Dong Xuan District of Phu Yen Province, successfully orchestrated a productive meeting on September 27th, 2023, between Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho and representatives from local authorities and communities in the communes of Da Loc and Xuan Lanh.

Investigating Suoi Mo in Da Loc commune

Zannier Hotels, with its headquarters in France, boasts a global presence, including operations in Vietnam. Notably, Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho, located in Song Cau District of Phu Yen, was recently honored as the recipient of two prestigious awards: “Best Luxury Hotel in Vietnam 2023” and “Best Boutique Hotel in Vietnam 2023” at the World Business Outlook.

Aligned with MCNV’s mission and core values of nurturing and supporting local initiatives, fostering income generation, and promoting indigenous cultures, high-level representatives from Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho embarked on an exploration of the Suoi Mo and Vuc Hom areas. During their visit, they also worked with a Bahna’s brocade weaving group.

Working with brocade weaving group in Xuan Lanh commune

The delegation was profoundly impressed by the potential for the development of forest-based and community-managed tourism, forging connections with other tourist destinations, promoting the consumption of brocade products, and offering services encompassing traditional weaving demonstrations and captivating performances featuring traditional dancing accompanied by drums and gongs. In the medium term, Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho committed to placing orders for brocade products, earmarked for the upcoming Christmas season.

Wrap-up meeting among relevant parties

MCNV will continue to play a pivotal role in this endeavor by consolidating insights and crafting a preliminary memorandum of understanding that will bind Zannier Hotels Bai San Ho, local authorities, and the communities together in this journey of mutual and sustainable development.

BIJPO project is co-funded by GSRD, Dong Xuan district and MCNV from April 2022 to April 2025.

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Pictures speak: A creative way of communication in maternal healthcare

Story and photos by Ms.Huyen Hoang, MCNV Board of Director, captured from a field mission in Sepone district, Lao PDR in early September 2023.

Ms. Chung is a 32-year-old woman living in Stuak Nai village, Sepone district, Laos PDR. She has 5 children (4 girls and one boy) and is at her 5th month pregnancy with her 6th baby.

I came to visit her on 4th September 2023 while she was being checked up by one village health worker.

After briefing Ms.Chung about the visit, the village health worker proceeded with weighing the mother and recording the information.

She later asked Ms.Chung to lay down for the fetal position check and fundal (belly) height measurement using her hands. A small doppler was used to detect the baby’s heart rate.

Ms. Chung later shared with me that she was very happy to hear her child’s heartbeat.

After the check-up, the village health worker showed Ms.Chung a set of picture cards to discuss on maternal health. The cards are made double sides, one side featuring picture that the mother can see and know what it is. The other side was a key message of a topic that the village health worker wants to deliver.

The set of cards that were being used to communicate with Ms. Chung is for women at 4-6 months pregnancy. They contained the information on what the women should do and should avoid, also including what support the husband and other family members can provide to her.

Looking at a card with a picture of a husband carrying heavy stuff for the wife when she is pregnant, Ms. Chung laughed while shaking her head to signal the opposite. What she meant was: women in the area often do this kind of work (carrying heavy things) and there is no different even if they are pregnant.

The picture cards made the discussion become more cheerful and interactive.

In the conversation, I asked Ms. Chung about what she did with her previous pregnancies. She said that for each pregnancy, she would go for one time check-up at the health centre (about 14 km away) when she was about 6–7-month pregnant. In her case, her husband accompanied her to the health centre. All of her 5 children were delivered at home and with the support from her husband, who held her from the back. All other things, including cutting of the umbilical cord was done by the woman herself. With this 6th pregnancy, the village health worker came to her house to do the check-up. This village-based service is available thanks to the project ‘Together in action for mother and child health‘ funded by AFAS Foundation and implemented by MCNV in coordination with Sepon district health authority./.

 

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