Yen Tu Phi

Inclusion 3 project kicked off in Tay Ninh province

In late May 2022, the National Action Center for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET), under the Ministry of National Defence, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Department of Health of Tay Ninh province jointly held a conference to launch the component in Tay Ninh province of the Inclusion 3 project.

***Ms.Tran Thi Lan, Deputy Head of the Department of Labours, the Invalids and Social Affairs, speaks at the conference.***

The conference was attended by representatives of the management awardee – the Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion (CSIP) and project implementation awardees, including MCNV, Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH), Sustainable Health Development Centre (VietHealth), Hoang Duc Education Consulting Company, Disability Research and Capacity Development Center (DRD).

***Mr.Nguyen Quoc Hung (NACCET) speaks at the conference.***

Implemented in the period from 2021-2026, the Inclusion project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with NACCET being the managing agency, is implemented in 8 provinces: Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Binh Dinh, Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai.

In Tay Ninh, the project will provide direct support to 7,500 people with disabilities, of which 75% will be benefited from the increase of quality of life indicators (approximately 5,625 people).

***Ms.Nguyen Thi Phuong Nhung (Project Manager – CSIP) speaks at the conference.***

The overall goal of the project is built on four objectives: expanding healthcare, rehabilitation and social services, improving policies and public attitudes, reduce barriers, ensure social inclusion of PwDs and strengthening the capacity in managing and implementing activities to support PwDs at all levels of relevant departments.
At the conference, the participants exchanged the information on the implementation of project activities as planned, discussed and approved on the mechanisms of collaboration, coordination, planning and reporting of stakeholders during the implementation process in Tay Ninh province, ensuring the completion of the project objectives in terms of quality, quantity and timing.

As one of the implementation awardee, MCNV will contribute to improving the quality of rehabilitation services in Tay Ninh province through clinical skills training to 15 rehabilitation staff (12 physiotherapists – PT, 3 speech and language therapists – SALT) for a period of 6 months (June 2022 to December 2022).

***MSc.MD.Pham Dung, MCNV Country Director speaks at the conference.***

The training will be carried out in the form of matching 01 coach with 01 coachee or in groups (maximum number of 3 coachees), with a coaching program tailored for each individual coachee.
SALT coaching is conducted online while PT will be coached using both face-to-face approach and virtual platform.
It is expected that after completing the training course, 15 rehabilitation technicians and practitioners will be able to provide quality rehabilitation services to 540 patients and 129 PwDs and improve the functions for 100 of these PWDs./.

9-month course in Occupational Therapy jointly launched by MCNV & Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy

A 9-month course in Occupational Therapy (OT) was jointly launched by MCNV and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMP) on May 16th, 2022 in Hue City (Thua Thien – Hue province).

The launching ceremony was attended by representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Board of Directors of Hue UMP; lecturers and 34 trainees who are nurses, rehabilitation technicians and physicians working in hospitals and health facilities in the provinces of Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Kon Tum and Binh Dinh.

**Prof. PhD. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy, Rector of Hue UMP** ***speaks at the launching ceremony***

The course is part of the Inclusion 1&2 projects, sponsored by USAID with the overall objective of improving the quality of life of people with disabilities (PwDs). The project’s managing agency is the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) under the Chemical Command, the Ministry of Defense. Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) and Center for Community Health Research and Development (CCRD) are two management awardees of Inclusion 1&2 projects.

As the implemention awardee, MCNV works to achieve the objective of developing the new manpower to participate in the profession of rehabilitation.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Prof. PhD. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy, Rector of Hue UMP, expressed his appreciation for the substantial support of the Projects for Hue UMP in general and for the Department of Rehabilitation in particular in building capacity, developing expertise and providing necessary infrastructure for clinical practice of OT courses.

Prof. PhD. Nguyen Vu Quoc Huy also emphasized the importance of OT in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation model, along with other therapies such as physical therapy (PT), speech and language therapy, psychotherapy, nursing care as well as other specialties in improving health and quality of life of PwDs.

On behalf of the project management and implementation awardees, MSc.MD. Pham Dung, Country Director of MCNV Vietnam noted the important role of this 9-month training course and the indispensable contributions of Hue UMP and the trainees.

***MSc.MD. Pham Dung, MCNV Country Director speaks at the launching ceremony.***

In his speech, MSc.MD. Pham Dung highlighted the significance of the course to the improvement of local rehabilitation system. The trainees were among the first receiving OT training in Vietnam. MCNV and local health facility leaders deeply believe in the trainees’ efforts to successfully complete the course, accomplishing the projects’ objectives and contributing to the capacity improvement for local healthcare workers.

MCNV Country Director, at the same time, expressed his expectation that Hue UMP will become an OT training center for the central region with well-structured short-term training courses, high quality and effective training methods, contributing to filling the gaps in human resources in the rehabilitation system.

***MSc.MD. Ha Chan Nhan, Head of the Rehabilitation Department, Hue UMP speaks at the launching ceremony.***

The 9-month course in OT comprises 13 subjects, being delivered in 750 hours (225 ones for theory and 525 ones for practice). It is divided into three semesters, each lasts 10 weeks. There will be a 2-week break between semesters, when the trainees come back to their respective workplaces for self-learning and work on assignments to apply what they have learnt into practice.

Mr. Le Dai Duong, a technician from Rehabilitation Department of Quang Nam Northern Mountainous Region General Hospital, one among the course’s trainees, said that he earlier had the chance to obtain fundamental knowledge of OT through a 7-week course, with a focus on OT interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mr. Duong hopes that the 9-month course in OT will enrich him with sufficient in-depth knowledge and skills in OT, in order to provide interventions for various diseases that his hospital commonly admits, such as brain injury, complications after accidents, spinal cord injury, etc.

***Mr.Dang Xuan Tung expresses thanks on behalf of the trainees.***

Another trainee, Ms. Le Thi Quynh Van, Department of General Internal Medicine – Convalesce – Pediatrics, Hospital of Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation of Kon Tum Province shared: There is high demand for OT services, especially from children with ASD. However, OT services are limited, most of the available rehabilitation services focus on PT. Ms. Quynh Van hopes that the 9-month course will help her hone the knowledge and skills on assessing, making intervention plans, conducting interventions and evaluating post-intervention results, in order to contribute to the development of OT services in the hospital, making OT services more accessible for people in her locality, avoiding long travels for services.

Following the launching ceremony, the course’s first lecture was conducted on May 17^th, 2022 at Hue UMP. At the end of the course, the trainees will be granted a certificate of continuing medical training in rehabilitation specializing in OT./.

Handover of Micro Credit and Saving project to Binh Dai district

On June 3, 2022, an agreement was signed to hand over the Micro Credit and Saving project in Binh Dai district from MCNV to Binh Dai District People’s Committee and Binh Dai Provincial Women’s Union.

***Participants at the handover ceremony.***

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. Pham Dung, MCNV Vietnam Country Director, Mr. Pham Huu Toai, Vice Chairman of Binh Dai District People’s Committee – Head of the project management board, Ms. Nguyen Thi Loi, Head of Binh Dai District Women’s Union, Vice Head of the project management board, representatives of People’s Committee the Women’s Unions of 11 communes and townships under the project.

***Mr.Pham Dung, MCNV Country Director speaks at the handover ceremony.***

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Pham Dung said:
“The project symbolizes the long-term cooperation between MCNV and Ben Tre province. MCNV is proud of what the project has achieved, in the aspects of sustainability, financial performance and social impact. With a flexible approach, through microcredit instrument, the project has provided relevant knowledge and capital source to help poor women in Binh Dai district strive toward a better future.
At the same time, the project has provided timely and effective support for the community to tackle the challenge of drought and saltwater intrusion and meet with some of new rural area development criteria.

Following the handover, the project will be operated by the People’s Committee of Binh Dai district and the Women’s Union of Ben Tre province, in accordance with the project regulations, ensuring the optimization of the credit source to meet the needs of poor women in post-COVID economic recovery in the time to come.

• The Micro Credit and Saving project in Binh Dai district was launched by MCNV and sponsors in 2009, starting with two communes with a capital of nearly 300 million VND.
• The project has extended its reach to 11 communes and township, providing micro-credit loans and saving services to around 1,700 regular customers with a total revolving capital of over 12 billion VND.
• Over 8,800 loans are provided to support thousands of women to escape poverty.

•The project will also become one of MCNV’s partners in assisting Ben Tre province and the Mekong Delta region to adapt to climate change.

•The Project Management Board is committed to maintain reporting and the relationships with longstanding Dutch donors such as Mfm, Huzla and individual donors.

6-MONTH COURSE ON REHABILITATION LAUCHED BY MCNV & BACH MAI HOSPITAL

As part of the project Inclusion 1&2, a 6-month course on basic rehabilitation (rehab) was jointly kick-started on May 18^th, 2022 by MCNV and Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center, Bach Mai hospital.

The opening ceremony was attended by Ms. Ritu Tariyal, Director of the Reconciliation and Inclusive Development Department, US Agency for International Development (USAID) – the project sponsor; Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, representative of the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) under Chemical Command, the Ministry of Defense – the project managing agency; Assoc. Prof.PhD. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital; Director of Binh Dinh Provincial Department of Health; representatives of the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) and Center for Community Health Research and Development (CCRD) – two project’s management awardees. 17 trainees of the course are doctors from 3 provinces of Quang Tri, Kon Tum and Binh Dinh, mostly working at district-level health facilities.

***Assoc. Prof.PhD. Dao Xuan Co, Director of Bach Mai Hospital speaks at the launching ceremony***

The Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center of Bach Mai Hospital is a center implementing team-based rehab technique practice with the full participation of multi-disciplinary practitioners, including rehab doctors, rehab nurses, orthopedists, prosthetists, speech therapists and a wide range of units specializing in rehab for spinal cord injury, stroke, musculoskeletal, etc.

***Ms. Ritu Tariyal, Director of the Reconciliation and Inclusive Development Department, USAID speaks at the event.***

Bach Mai hospital also possesses extensive experience in international cooperation with many organizations such as the Humanity and Inclusion, the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, etc.

The 6-month basic rehab course will equip trainees with relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes on the diagnosis and treatment of some common diseases in the field of rehab. The course consists of the following modules: functional anatomy, physiology, pathology, and basic rehab, which will be delivered through a series of theoretical lectures and clinical case analysis.

***Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hung, representative of NACCET speaks at the event.***

The basic rehab training course at Bach Mai Hospital aims to address the shortage in manpower, one of the biggest challenges facing local health facilities in Vietnam, providing timely and adequate support, in the meantime increasing opportunities for social inclusion, improving the quality of life of people with disabilities, especially in disadvantaged areas.

At the launching ceremony, proposals of trainees were shared and acknowledged. Most of the trainees expects the course to provide them with sufficient knowledge and clinical experiences to apply to their work effectively and contribute to the local rehab system.

***Director of Binh Dinh Provincial Department of Health, Mr.Le Quang Hung speaks at the event.***

The first lecture of the course was conducted right after the launching ceremony in the afternoon of the same day at The Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center of Bach Mai Hospital. Upon completing the course, the trainees will receive certificates on rehab in compliance with circulars 22/2013 and 26/2020 on continued education of the Ministry of Health./

First surveying activity of Tropical Fruit project

In mid April 2022, a team comprising MCNV representatives and technical advisors made their first surveying trip to households growing mango, dragon fruits and grape fruits in four provinces of Binh Thuan, Long An, Dong Thap and Ben Tre.

The surveying activity aims to look for key farmers offering their orchards for advanced-technology agricultural trials and demonstration as part of the project “Fruit quality project” by MCNV and the Vietnam Farmers Union (VNFU)

*The working task force visits a mango garden of a farmer family in Dong Thap.*

The working group comprised representatives from the VNFU, MCNV and three among the project’s partner companies: Bayer Vietnam (crop protection agents producer), Yara (fertilizer producer) and Eurofins (innovative soil and crop analysis).

During the trip, the farmers were briefed on the project’s objectives and the benefits of participating in the project as well as the eligibility criteria to be selected, including the minimum area of field possessed, the willingness and openness to acquiring new technology to improve the product quantity and quality. Besides, the working group also conducted inspection in terms of water resources, farming techniques, the use of insecticides and fertilizer, target export market, etc in surveying fields.

Selected farmers will represent their respective province to offer their field for fertilizer trials, demonstrations of crop protection and irrigation technology.

*Soil testing in a pomelo orchard in Ben Tre province*

After the survey, 2 farmers’ household were selected including a pomelo plantation in Ben Tre province and a mango plantation in Dong Thap province. The survey will be further continued to search for another two households representing Binh Thuan and Long An provinces.

With total value of 906,665 euro, nearly half of which is funded by the Dutch Goverment via the Netherland Enterprise Agency (RVO), the project aims to improve the quality of the dragon fruit, grape fruits and mango in four provinces: Dong Thap, Long An, Ben Tre and Binh Thuan.

During the last 2 years, COVID-19 has adversely impacted the fruits market in Vietnam.

According to a farmer growing mango in Dong Thap province, there was the time when production costs exceeded the selling price “ripe mangoes were given away to people instead of being sold, they can take as much as they want”, he said.

In Binh Thuan , normally the farmers will break even at the price of VND 9,000 per kilogram of dragon fruits. However, there were the time when the price plunged to only VND 2,000-3,000 per kilogram. Unsold dragon fruits were disposed or used to feed cattles.

Therefore in the last 2 years, most farmers growing dragon fruits minimized the costs of maintainence of their orchards. They cut down spending on fertilizers, pesticides, labour cost up to 80% to wait for the recovery of the market (VND 12,000-13,000). In this context, the project jointly conducted by MCNV and VNFU is expected to create a reliable and sustainable cooperation between European leading companies and the farmers in Vietnam./.

Launching 9-month courses in Speech and Language Therapy, and Physical Therapy

Associate Professor (Assoc. Prof.) Nguyen Khac Minh, Rector of Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy speaks at the launching ceremony

The two 9-month courses in Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), and Physical Therapy (PT), were jointly launched by the Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam (MCNV) and the Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy (UMTP) on April 26, 2022, as part of Inclusion 1 & 2 projects.

The course launching event brought together participants from the Center for Community Health Research and Development (CCRD), MCNV, Da Nang UMTP, in-charge lecturers of the two courses and 48 trainees who are nurses, rehabilitation technicians and medical staff working in hospitals and health facilities in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Tri, Kon Tum and Binh Dinh provinces.

The courses are conducted as part of Inclusion 1 & 2 projects, funded by USAID, with the managing agency being the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) under Chemical Command, the Ministry of Defense. The Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) and (CCRD) are two management awardees.

As the implementing partner of the project, MCNV strives to achieve several objectives, including “implementing medium-term training to provide new staff participating in rehabilitation (rehab) professional activities”. The objective will be accomplished through the cooperation with several medical universities, including the Danang UMTP.

Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Khac Minh, Rector of Da Nang UMTP said: “As one of the long-standing institutions providing rehab training in Vietnam, Da Nang UMTP has received tremendous support from international partners, including MCNV. We highly treasure the contribution of MCNV to enhancing rehab manpower in the Central and Central Highland region.”

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Khac Minh at the same time noted that: “Based on several successful joint projects with MCNV, especially the most recent project “Developing SALT education in Vietnam”, the Da Nang UMTP hopes to make positive contribution to the 9-month courses and Inclusion projects as a whole, in order to adequately address the shortage of rehab manpower in Vietnam.

On behalf of the management awardees and implementation awardee, MCNV Vietnam Country Director, MSc. MD. Pham Dung expressed his confidence in Da Nang UMTP with strong expertise and plenty of experiences in rehab education. He particularly highlighted the modern approach and working methods of Danang UMTP in the past 5 years, thanks to the collaboration with Australian leading experts in SALT.

***MCNV Country Director MSc. MD. Pham Dung speaks at the event.***

According to MCNV Vietnam Country Director, the two courses will provide useful knowledge to the trainees, those who are not only involved in the projects from the technical perspective, but are expected to become core manpower of rehab professionals in the long run, contributing to the betterment of the healthcare for the people in Vietnam.

MSc. MD. Pham Dung also affirmed MCNV’s commitment to seeking resources for further development of rehab human resource training in Danang UMTP as well as the rehab system.

If PT is widely known to the public in Vietnam, SALT is still a new profession. At the launching ceremony, some trainees of SALT course shared with us their feelings and expectations.

Ho Si Tam Minh has been working as a PT in Quang Tri General Hospital for three years. Minh acquired his knowledge of SALT via three fundamental SALT modules taken in college and has applied what he had learnt to provide basic support to the patients with difficulties in swallowing and speech. However, with limited understandings, he is unable to conduct SALT assessment, diagnosis and identification of intervention objectives on his own. He therefore expected the 9-month course to equip him with sufficient knowledge and skills, to provide better support to patients with swallow disorder. He furthermore hoped to possess more in-depth skills to assist post intensive care patients, especially after taking off machine ventilator.

Another trainee, Vo Thi Hoa (Thua Thien Hue Rehabilitation Hospital) said: My background is nursing, but I am so passionate about the profession of rehab that I have managed to complete a 12-month PT course earlier. I am very excited to take part in the 9-month SALT. I love SALT because it is an interesting and meaningful profession with high level of applicability in daily life. I really look forward to working in SALT after completing the training”, she said.

***Lecturers brief the trainees on the curriculum***

The two courses will be implemented right after the launching ceremony and are expected to contribute in manpower improvement of multidisciplinary rehab in five provinces, providing high-quality rehab services to the people of Vietnam./.

Hoi An Roastery visits MCNV in Quang Tri

Visiting an agroforestry coffee farm of an ethnic farmer

On the 2^nd of May 2022, a delegation of Hoi An Roastery (HAR) paid a field visit to Quang Tri province of Vietnam with an aim to investigate market expansion and scale up linkages with coffee producers in the Arabica coffee production hub in Huong Phung commune.

***Visiting a shop with bamboo products that were made by ethnic groups (under MCNV’s support)***

The HAR’s delegates included the owner of HAR Europe BV, Tjarco van Raad (Director of HAR – Europe BV, Caroline de Bruijne (Sales and Marketing Director of HAR Europe BV), Rudy van Bork (Executive Director of HAR in Vietnam) and Davis Dawson IV Ferdinand (Sales Director of HAR in Vietnam).

MCNV is a long-standing partner of HAR and in the past years facilitator of the coffee value chain of HAR, local processor and coffee producers . At a joint meeting with MCNV, HAR’s members were thoroughly updated on the contract farming and visited MCNV’s museum and project sites.

The delegates visited coffee farms, and met up with coffee producers and processor to discuss the sustainable cooperation through the deployment of Stage 2 of the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development bankable project of “Agroforestry coffee production of Hoi An Roastery & Arabica Coffee Smallholders in Quang Tri province, Vietnam”.

Enriching the resource for Speech and Language Therapy research in Vietnam

Findings from the graduation theses of Vietnam’s first 14 Masters of Speech and Language Therapy were briefly presented in a hybrid workshop titled “SALT: Sharing findings from some research in Vietnam”.

The workshop was jointly organized by MCNV and HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMP) in HCMC on April 28th, 2022, bringing together around 140 participants, including: MSc.MD. Nguyen Phuong Hien (The Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Training), Ms.Ritu Tariyal (Director of Reconciliation and Inclusive Development Department, United States International Aid for Development); Professor (Prof) Doctor (Dr) Lindy McAllister (University of Sydney, Board of the Trinh Foundation Australia); Associate (Assoc) Prof.Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh, Head of the Nursing – Medical Technology Department, HCMC UMP; Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Dung, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicines; MSc.MD. Le Quang Duong, Director of VietHealth, MSc.MD.Pham Dung, Country Director of MCNV Vietnam together with SALT international experts, lecturers, volunteers, clinical coach, mentors, interpreters and the trainees graduated from the course.

***Participants at the workshop on April 28th, 2022***

The workshop aimed to briefly present the research findings from the graduation theses of the first Master of SALT (MSALT), HCMC UMP. The completion of the course marks a historic milestone of SALT in Vietnam, since it is the first time MSALT curriculum is provided in the country. This achievement is an outcome of the project “Developing SALT education in Vietnam” sponsored by USAID via VietHealth and implemented by MCNV with the technical support from the Trinh Foundation Australia.

***Ms.Ritu Tariyal (Director of Reconciliation and Inclusive Development Department, USAID) participates in the workshop.***

Since its rollout in late 2017, thanks to the thorough preparation and active participation of multi stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Education and Training and Ministry of Health, the first MSALT training program was kick started in November 2019 and accomplished its goal in November 2021 when all the 14 trainees successfully completed their graduation thesis defense.

***Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Van Chinh, Head of the Nursing – Medical Technology Department, HCMC UMP*** ***speaks at the workshop***

Their research cover a wide range of topic in SALT, ranging from aphasia, experiences in self-help and help-seeking of families who have children with communication disability, experience of community-based rehab staff, stuttering in adults, normative data for the Vietnamese language screener for four-year-old, speech sound characteristics of children with speech sound disorders, etc.

***Dr.Pham Dung, MCNV Country Director speaks at the workshop***.

In addition to sharing findings from the MSALT graduation theses, the workshop served as a platform for SALT specialists to exchange the views and present their latest in-depth research such as “The Vietnamese Asphasia Test” (Dr.Le Khanh Dien, (Asia Pacific Society of Speech, Language and Hearing) and the “Effect of dialects on identification and severity of speech sound disorders in Vietnamese children” (Dr.Pham Thi Ben – National University of Education).

Other issues related to the long-term development of SALT in Vietnam were put into discussion such as preparing for the next cohort, the significance of establishing SALT Association in Vietnam, etc, aiming at the ultimate goal which is adequately meet with the demand of patients, persons with disabilities, the clients of SALT in Vietnam.

***Research presentation: Experiences in self-help and help-seeking of families who have children with communication disability in HCMC and Quang Nam***

***Presentation of research: Experience of community-based rehab staff in working with people with communication and swallowing difficulties.***

* In the morning of April 29th, the official graduation ceremony of the first MSALT was held by HCMC UMP followed by a cordial congratulation event held by MCNV.

(First row, from the right) Ms.Nguyen Thi Hoa Le (USAID), Ms. Ngo Y Sa (SALT Project Interpreter), Prof.Dr.Lindy McAllister (TFA Board), Mr. Pham Dung (MCNV Country Director), Mr. Le Quang Duong (VietHealth Director), Ms.Nguyen Phuong Hien (Ministry of Education and Training) participate in the graduation ceremony of 14 SALT students in HCMC UMP.

***14 MSALT at the graduation ceremony in HCMC UMP on April 29th, 2022.***

***Participants at the congratulation ceremony held by MCNV*** ***on the same day.***

Combining community-based tourism with sustainable forests management in Quang Tri

MCNV recently joined with local authorities in organizing an event to kick start community-based ecotourism in combination with FSC®-certified sustainable forest management in Chenh Venh village, Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district. The event brought together representatives of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism, the Forest control department and the Center of Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Huong Hoa district and relevant departments.

The event was a chance for the participants to expose to exotic eco-tourism services directly provided by Chenh Venh village, such as visiting the campsite in Sa Muoi hill, Chenh Venh waterfall and stream, trekking through natural forests managed by the community, Ro Ve village picnic site while learning about the indigenous cultures embodied in local authentic dishes and performing arts.

In order to put the entire ecotourism services into operation, MCNV and the People’s Committee of Huong Hoa district and Huong Phung commune have spent the last six months assisting Chenh Venh village and the Community Forest Board of the village in the preparation process. Key support includes: converting local residential houses into homestay, installing camping infrastructures (tents, bedding ), restoring the stream bank landscape, installing sign boards, building sanitary facilities, providing training on community-based tourism services, culinary skills, etc.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chair of Huong Hoa district People’s Committee, Mr. Pham Trong Ho highlighted the advantages of Chenh Venh village in developing community- based tourism, thanks to its magnificent natural landscape and distinctive indigenous culture. He also appreciated MCNV’s practical support, which is believed will lay out a solid foundation for the development of ecotourism in combination with sustainable forest management in the long run.

***Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dai, Chief of MCNV Office in Quang Tri province gives his speech at the event.***

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Dai, Chief of MCNV Office in Quang Tri province, Chenh Venh village comprises nearly 100 Bru Van Kieu households who oversee up to 1,000 hectare of forest. The jobs created and income generated from non-timber products, community-based tourism and ecosystem services play a significant role in helping the locals manage and protect the forest more effectively.

***A lady of Van Kieu ethnic minority in traditional costumes.***

Thanks to PROSPER project by MCNV and the European Union, in 2021, the community forests in Chenh Venh village and Ho village (Huong Son commune) have become Vietnam’s first community forests that received the FSC® certificate issued by the World Council of Forest.

In the time to come, MCNV will continue to support Chenh Venh village in maintaining and developing community-based tourism. In detail, MCNV will help connect the beneficiaries with sponsors and responsible enterprises who are willing to pay for ecosystem services provided by this community, such as carbon absorption, biodiversity and water conservation./.

GSRD – MCNV new partnership to benefit over 1,000 poor women and children in Phu Yen

A conference to kick start the project “Boosting income and jobs for poor ethnic women in Dong Xuan district” (BIJPO) was held on March 25^th by MCNV and Dong Xuan District People’s Committee.

Building on the achievements of the previous Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture project, BIJPO will be implemented in a period of 36 months, from April 2022 to April 2025.

A family in Dong Xuan district, Phu Yen province. Photo: MCNV

BIJPO aims to tackle the new challenges confronting people of ethnic minorities living in remote mountainous areas brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. In particular, BIJPO will focus on boosting the income, improving food security via the improvement of working condition and agricultural production. The project will benefit about 650 women and 500 children of poor and nearly poor households in 15 villages of 6 communes in Dong Xuan district, and therefore, contribute directly to the realization of the National target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2021-2030.

As part of the project, 15 new women-led cooperatives will be formally established and receive support in terms of making joint business plan and building joint assets/facilities for its production and business. Operation of the groups will create alternative jobs and income for the poor women in village who are willing to join and commit the common production plans of the groups. Potential business includes debarking machines of acacia wood; producing dry mushroom products; weaving products, etc.

At the same time, the project will facilitate 30 household agricultural production groups. These informal groups will be set up and endorsed by local commune government. Each household production group will include around 15 poor and nearly poor households. The project will provide group members with agricultural production training courses; coaching; seedlings, breeding for improving current crops or implementing alternative cash and non-cash crops. Female members will work together to improve and diversify their household agricultural production such as rearing fish, frogs, chicken, ducks, crabs and planting acacia plantation, fruit trees (banana, papaya) vegetables, or pumpkin. The improved productions aim to create both cash and also non-cash income for these households. The agricultural models will be identified and proposed by group members in accordance with local context and household conditions./.

First surveying activity of Tropical Fruit project

Launching 9-month courses in Speech and Language Therapy, and Physical Therapy

Hoi An Roastery visits MCNV in Quang Tri

Combining community-based tourism with sustainable forests management in Quang Tri

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GSRD – MCNV new partnership to benefit over 1,000 poor women and children in Phu Yen