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magazine_2022-1-def-LRCANTEEN case studies presented in closing workshop
Last December the CANTEEN program in Nong district in Laos was finalized with a closing workshop, in which most of the participants of the project attended: MCNV, EU, provincial and local authorities. Unfortunately, due to Covid-19 travel restriction it wasn’t possible a delegation of the AFAS Foundation, Dutch funding partner of the project, nor anyone of MCNV head office, attended the meeting.
Developing curriculum for 9-month course in Physical Therapy, Speech & Language Therapy
Delegates in the workshop on developing curriculum for 9-month SALT course.
February 24, 2022 – The Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) and the University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy (UMTP) of Da Nang recently organized an online workshop on developing a 09-month course curriculum in Physical Therapy (PT) and Speech and Language Therapy (SALT).
The workshop had the participation of more than 29 delegates who were representatives of the Vietnam Rehabilitation Association; the United State Agency for International Development (USAID), the Center for Community Health Research and Development (CCRD), the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), the Da Nang University of Medicine and Pharmacy Technology, Hospital of Northern Moutainous Quang Nam, Phu Ninh District Medical Center, Que Son District Medical Center.
The Project “Improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with agent orange” (Inclusion Project) is 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. CCIHP, CCRD are management awardees and MCNV is one of the implementation awardees, taking responsibility of implementing activities related to rehabilitation manpower enhancement in 8 provinces, including: Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Binh Đinh, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh and Dong Nai.
As part of the project, the objective ‘to implement medium-term training to provide new staff participating in rehab professional activities’ will be accomplished in cooperation with several universities, including the Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy (UMTP).
The University will be MCNV’s partner in conducting PT, SALT medium term training (with the duration of 9 months) as well as a number of continuing medical education courses on PT for rehabilitation workers.
Speaking at the workshop on developing curriculum for the PT and SALT 9-month course, Dr. Le Thi Thuy, Vice-rector of Danang UMPT, expressed her strong commitment in accompanying MCNV to gain the best results.
The draft of the 9-month training curriculum on PT and SALT was subsequently presented by MD. Cao Bich Thuy, Deputy Head of the Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy, UMTP. These two courses will benefit provincial and district health workers in the provinces of Binh Dinh and Kon Tum.
At the workshop, various feedbacks from the participants were collected and synthesized to facilitate the completion of the curriculum./.
Developing curriculum for a 9-month course in Occupational Therapy
An online workshop on developing curriculum for a 9-month course in occupational therapy (OT) was successfully organized by the Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV) and the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Hue UMP).
Over 30 participants attended the workshop, including representatives from the Vietnam Rehabilitation Association; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), the Center for Community Health Research and Development (CCRD); Hue UMP; Health Department of Thua Thien Hue Province, Thua Thien Hue Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital and Phu Vang District Health Center.
The Project “Improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with agent orange” (Inclusion Project) is 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. CCIHP, CCRD are management awardees and MCNV is one of the implementation awardees, taking responsibility of implementing activities related to rehabilitation manpower enhancement in 8 provinces, including: Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Kon Tum, Binh Đinh, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh and Dong Nai.
In order to accomplish the objective entitled ‘To implement medium-term training to provide new staff participating in rehab professional activities‘, MCNV will cooperate with several national-level universities to implement a series of training activities, including the upcoming 9-month OT course, which will be conducted in collaboration with Hue UMP.
Speaking at the workshop, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tam, Vice Principal of Hue UMP affirmed the commitment to accompanying MCNV in effectively conducting the 9-month OT course, while continuing the cooperation with the organization in implementing other significant training activities to improve the quality of rehabilitation services.
To give the participants an overview of the training course, at the workshop, MD. Pham Dung, MCNV Country Director presented to the participants the scientific and professional approach in adapting the 12-month training course curriculum (earlier approved in ‘Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Services Supporting Children with Intellectual and Developmental disabilities to thrive’ (I-THRIVE)’ project into the 9-month training course curriculum in OT.
Based on online surveys, in-depth interviews and study of available materials, MCNV has proposed an expected competency framework for the 9-month training. According to this framework, there will be some deletion, shortenings or supplementation of suitable training contents.
The outline of the 9-month training course was subsequently presented by MD. Ha Chan Nhan, Head of Rehabilitation Department, Hue UMP and discussed at the workshop.
Tentatively, after synthesizing ideas from the workshop participants, Hue UMP and MCNV will adapt the outline and detailed training curriculum, submitting to the Science Council of Hue UMP for appraisal and approval in preparation for the enrollment and training in April, 2022./.
The seed of prosperity
It’s the beginning of dry season in the North of Huong Hoa district (Quang Tri province). Ho Van Dinh is walking along the stream, heading toward the Ta Bang mountain, under the blazing sun.
Dinh’s family used to live at the foot of Ta Bang mountain, in Nguon Rao Pin village. However, after the historic flood swept through Quang Tri in October 2020, several massive cracks have appeared in this mountain. To protect people from the hazards of landslide, local authorities have swiftly relocated 32 households living nearby, including Dinh’s, to a safer place.
After climbing up a nearly-2-km bumpy slope, Dinh stopped walking. Pointing toward a land plot filled with stones and rocks, he said: “I planted trees there. The total area is 1.6 hectares”.
At the first glance, it seems like nothing can survive on this barren land, except grasses and shrubs. Nonetheless, thanks to the hardwork of Dinh’s family, nowadays, many young tung trees (Vernicia Montana) have started to showcase their vital Eden-green color together with “lat hoa” (Chukrasia tabularis).
“These trees were planted by me, my wife, my three sons and their wives. It took us around 3, 4 days in a row to complete the work. After three months, the survival rate is nearly 100%,” Dinh said happily, while busily filling soil around the root of a young tree.
Dinh’s household is one of 100 households in four villages of Huong Son and Huong Phung commune supported by the project “Promoting sustainable partnership between CSOs and enterprises for sustainable forest management in the context of climate change” (PROSPER project) co-funded by the European Union (EU) and MCNV.
In the year 2021, PROSPER project has partly funded the labour cost for these 100 households to plant tung trees together with other indigenous plants covering a total area of 139.4 hectare. The plantation density is 1,333 trees per hectare, including 1,067 tungs trees and 266 indigenous plants.
In the same year, MCNV has piloted planting tung trees to prevent landslide in several locations in Huong Son, Huong Lap and Huong Viet communes, with a total area of 42 hectares. Earlier, in 2020, two villages in Huong Phung commune receive funding for forest plantation in an area of 120 hectares. So far, the total area of forest plantation in Northern Huong Hoa supported by the PROSPER project has been 300 hectares.
“Planting Tung trees help protect the soil and water. It is easy for Tung trees to grow here, thanks to the suitability with local soils and climates,” said Dinh.
“It also benefits us in terms of income generation. When it comes to the harvesting season, all of us go to collect the seeds. The sale of the seeds helps us earn additional income to afford food for the family,” he shared.
Dinh’s family has been growing tung trees in over 10 years, covering an area of 1,2 hectares. According to Dinh, fresh tung seeds is sold at VND 5,000-6,000 per kilogram, while the price of dried tung seeds is doubled.
Normally, a tung tree starts to mature to bear fruits in their third year and yield commercial quantities at three to four years of age. The oil obtained from Tung seeds is commercially valuable, and is popularly used as the ingredients for the production of wood finishing products, paints and ink.
According to a research by MCNV in 2020, tung tree plantation in Northern Huong Hoa covers a total area of 2,400 hectares (in combination with other indigenous trees), and 300 hectares of Tung trees dispersedly planted in household surroundings, yielding an annual amount of dried seeds of up to 1,500 tonnes, equivalent to VND 15 billion per year.
It is estimated that each hectare of tung trees can produce 3-4 tonnes of dried seeds, worth VND 30-40 million/year, if they are properly taken care of.
Recently, Quang Tri province has included tung tree in the list of key species contributing to the province’s implementation plan of the project “Planting one billion trees in the period of 2021 – 2025” launched by the Government of Vietnam./.
NEW YEAR, NEW FIELD
The Fruit Quality project introduction workshop was held on January 21st, 2022.
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.
Key interventions focus on applying advanced cultivation techniques and capacity building for farmers households and the supporting systems. The project recipient is the Vietnam Farmer’s Union, the representative of 11 million farmers in Vietnam
The new techniques in terms of soil testing, fertigation system, plant protection chemicals and linkage to export markets will be transferred and introduced by well-known technical partner Dutch companies (Eurofins, YARA, Bayer, Prins, etc) and various knowledge institutes of Vietnam.
As part of the project, trial fields will be established at several farms, to support awareness raising and training of farmers. At the same time, 72 capacity-building workshops will be provided to approximately 600 farmers, 12 business connecting and knowledge sharing events.
In 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Mekong River Delta regarding the Agricultural Transition were signed by the government of Vietnam and the Netherlands.
In alignment with the Mekong Delta Agricultural Transformation Plan 2021-2030, with a vision toward 2050, the project sets long-term goal of transforming the farming systems and fruits export to ensure sustainable growth and generating jobs, as well as fostering win-win partnership between Dutch enterprises and Vietnamese counterparts.
If these goals are attained, the project will contribute to Vietnam-Netherlands strategic cooperation./.