Please find here after our annual report and annual account 2019, in English. For download click here.
MCNV-Annual-report-and-Account-2019_incl-auditMOU signed with MOH on promoting Rehabilitation in Vietnam
On today morning (June 2), together with representatives of 7 local and international NGOs, MCNV Country Director Pham Dung signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Medical Services Administration on cooperation in Rehabilitation.
Under the framework of the US Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded agreement, collaboration activities will majorly focus on development of healthcare models and rehabilitation facilities for the disabled in the country, improve the law and policies on rehabilitation as well as improve the capacity of rehabilitation centres in several project areas.
The MoUs express the commitment of NGOs to effectively implement activities to reinforce Rehabilitation services and assistance for people with disabilities in Vietnam.
08 NGOs participating in the MoU signing ceremony are:
Action for Community Development Center (ACDC); Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH); Humanity and Inclusion (HI); the International Center (IC); Institute of Population, Health and Development (PHAD); Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP); Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam (MCNV).
On the same days, 08 NGOs also participated in a Workshop on Rehabilitation Provisions under the revised laws on Medical Examinations and Treatment (LET).
According to the National Survey on People with Disabilities by the General Statistics Office (GSO), in 2016, over 7% of the population aged 2 years and older, (equal to around 6.2 million), have a disability.
These percentages are expected to rise with the aging of the population, leading to a sharp increase in demand for Rehabilitation in the future.
For more information:
Consultant recruitment for final project evaluation
Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam (MCNV) is a Dutch NGO that has provided support to health systems, community-based health care and community development programs towards improvement of quality of life for people in Vietnam since 1968. The Disability Program is one of the main programs of MCNV in Viet Nam at the time being.
MCNV implemented the project Early Detection (ED) – Early Intervention (EI) – Inclusive Education (IE) for children with disabilities in Cao Bang from 2002 to 2019. Before handing the project over to the local counterparts by the end of 2020, MCNV and the counterparts in Cao Bang have also agreed to carry out an end-of-project evaluation MCNV is seeking for a consultant to carry out this evaluation.
Application for the mission must include:
- 01 CV (English and VNamese);
- A letter of interest.
Application is sent to: thuy.nguyenthanh@mcnv.vn ;
Deadline for application: 20/6/2020.
For more information, please refer to the ToR attached and contact via phone number: 0986607351 or 0243 8359005 (ext 25).
ToR file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RYJxb-MdC8O8lmTYJBRXnMNP1t6KJup8/view?usp=sharing
Unveil the potential of nature
Recently, the Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam (MCNV) has provided supports for a number of households in Chenh Venh village (Huong Phung commune), Cu Bai village (Huong Lap commune) and Ta Puong village (Huong Viet commune) to produce made-from-bamboo products to supply for domestic and overseas markets.
This is one of the initiatives to encourage consumers to switch from using plastic to environment-friendly products, and at the same time, creating the opportunities for livelihood improvement for people of Van Kieu and Pa Co ethnic minorities in Quang Tri province.
The products being produced in these localities are as diverse as straws, pen case, travel utensils case, candle holders, with materials sourcing from local forests.
According to MCNV, 10 households in Chenh Venh village are making bamboo straws. In 2019, they produced around 50,000 straws, sold at the price of VND 1,000- 3,000/per unit, generating the revenue of VND 100 million (equal to VND 10 million/household).
Len Xanh is one of the various types of bamboo found in the mountainous district of Huong Hoa. Growing wildly on ravine, nearby high waterfalls, Len Xanh can only be harvested when it is mature enough. Normally, one tree can provide 5-8 stalks/year, each stalk comprises of 7 to 10 nodes, each node is from 20 to 25 cm long.
After being harvested, the stalks are cut to a length of 18-23 cm, before 5-6 hours of disinfection by boiling, and later wiping away residual impurities.
In the next 7 to 8 days, the straws are dried under the sun. The final step is shaping the straw by sanding down the edges.
According to Ms. Ho Thi Xang, member of a production group in Chenh Venh village, her family is expecting to increase their income by bamboo straw making.
They used to earn their living by working in the forests on their own or hired by others as seasonal workers. Despite their hard work, Xang and her husband still struggled to make end meets. Since their kids were born and needed round-the-clock care, Xang had to stay home. All of the livelihood burden was hence put on her husband’s shoulder, pushing the family deeper into poverty.
“Making bamboo straws requires high level of patience and meticulousness. In order to come up with qualified products that meet the standard of hygiene, size and appearance, you have to follow closely every step. Nevertheless, as long as you put enough efforts in the work, you’ll quickly get used to it and be able to earn stable income every month”, Xang said with excitement.
Bamboo straw making not only opens a new path of livelihood for local residents, but also benefits the community in another way as it takes the men away from alcoholic addiction. They are now busier with the work of harvesting the materials from the forests.
According to Mr. Ho Van Noi, a resident in Chenh Venh village, the men can make use of their time of working in the forest to harvest len xanh, and craft bamboo straws during their idle time. It is estimated that in each household two people are taking part in the production of bamboo straws. However, due to the scarcity of len xanh in the nature and the danger of the harvesting process, people are facing challenge in ensuring sufficient materials for production.
The community is therefore looking forward to receiving more supports from the authorities and functional agencies to expand the plantation of len xanh, in order to meet with production demand.
At the same time, MCNV is supporting 3 production groups in three villages to diversify their products and materials and build drying houses, and providing machinery and technical training for core members.
Their products now range from pen case, candle holders, travel utensil case. The making of these handicraft demands much dedication, however it pays off, as these products capture the attention of customers, especially overseas tourists.
At the moment, Hoi An Roastery, a company owning eleven cafes located in the tourism city of Hoi An, Quang Nam province is the distributor of these products. In the future MCNV will help the production groups to increase connection with domestic and international markets. Together with production, they are also paying attention to developing plantation zone of material, especially len xanh on nearby hills.
Currently, 20 households in Huong Phung, Huong Viet and Huong Lap village are taking part in bamboo handicraft work. This is a practical vocation to increase income while contribute to the development of environmentally-friendly production market.
Bamboo straws in the hands of daughter of a production group member in Chenh Venh hamlet, Huong Phung commune. Photo: Phan Tan Lam
“In the time to come, we will help expand the material plantation, diversify the products, improving crafting skills, product quality and widen the market network”, says an MCNV project coordinator.
With dedication and hard work, more and more bamboo are turned into delicate products, while the farmers are becoming skillful artisans, and getting closer to a bright future.
Dreaming of a life without hunger
The nutritional programs in Phu Yen and Savannakhet in a nutshell
We help villagers grow nutrient-rich crops on a plot of land next to their home. We teach mothers how to prepare the new vegetables. The little ones every day receive a nutritious meal at school or playground and we advise on clean drinking water and hygiene. There is also extra guidance for pregnant women and newborn children. We ask your support to eradicate hunger in these villages for good, our dream! With € 25,000 we can continue this year in both countries with small but structural improvement of the livelihoods of the villagers.
Thank you for your (extra) donation!
Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam contributes to COVID-19 fight in Quang Tri
(VNT) – The Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) presented assistance totaling VND 13 million (USD 558) to the central province of Quang Tri to help them effectively fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several MCNV’s projects are being carried out in Huong Hoa district (Quang Tri), adjacent to the Vietnam – Laos border. Due to heavy traffic across the border lines, the locality is at high risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Strengthening border security is one of the key measures adopted by local authorities in order to eliminate this risk.
Recently, a donation of VND 12 million (USD 515) was handed to two border guard posts in Huong Hoa district. The cash was spent on necessity supplies for the teams such as vitamin C effervescent drink, dried food, drinking water and instant coffee.
At the same time, responding to the call for supports of Quang Tri province, MCNV Central Vietnam office donated VND 1 million (USD 43) to the province via the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs.
Founded on November 18, 1968 by a team of dedicated Dutch doctors, MCNV aimed to deliver the aid from Netherland to Vietnam, to support the country’s resistant war through the sponsorship of medical supplies, hospital building, tuberculosis, malaria prevention, etc.
MCNV has diversified its fields of operation, together joining hands with Vietnam in developing the country’s economy with various projects in improving the livelihood of people in poor regions, gender equality, rehabilitation for the handicapped, reproductive health education, among others.
In 2018, MCNV marked its memorable 50th birthday with the fourth time receiving the Friendship Order of the State President to acknowledge the organization’s contribution to Vietnam in the last five decades./.
(Hannah Nguyen – The Vietnam Times)
✈️🧳Important information on rapid reduction of flights from Vietnam
The Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate General in HCMC of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on March 20th announce:
The Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate General in HCMC of the Kingdom of the Netherlands advice all Dutch tourists and other non-essential visitors in Vietnam to leave Vietnam as quickly as possible.
The number of commercial flights to travel from or via Vietnam to the Netherlands is increasingly rapidly declining.
As of next week, the number of commercial flights from Vietnam will be very minimal or not available at all. When you are in Vietnam now or in transit, you are advised to access the information channels (website, hotlines of desks at airports) of your airline or travel company as soon as possible, so you can leave as quickly as possible.
ATMs still work in Vietnam. You can also transfer money via WesternUnion.
We would be grateful if you could spread the word to others who might not be up to date yet.
We advise all Dutch people who are still in Vietnam to register themselves, so we can reach all Dutch people in case of emergency https://informatieservice.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/
The travel advice can be found in the Travel app (in Dutch: Reisapp van Buitenlandse Zaken) or here: https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/…/viet…/reizen/reisadvies
Questions? Call +31 247 247 247 or send an email to han@minbuza.nl