1968 – 2018 marks 50 years of MCNV

Founded in Amsterdam in November 1968 as one of many Dutch solidarity movements, MCNV managed to change with the times, turn into an international NGO and remain relevant to the Dutch-Vietnamese relations and cooperations and of importance for the Vietnamese and Laotian people. Read more for a link to the livestream.

On December 1^st 2018, MCNV in collaboration with Hai Duong Medical Technical University (HMTU) organized a workshop on “Reviewing the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) education program and job placement for BOT students”. Participating in the workshop were representatives of the Department of Rehabilitation of the MoH’s Administration of Medical Services, rehabilitation hospitals and centers from around 12 Northern provinces and cities, faculties of HMTU, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Ho Chi Minh City (UMPH) and Manipal Academic of Higher Education (MAHE), expatriate OT volunteers and HMTU’s OT students. The workshop aimed at reviewing the OT Education Program which is undertaken at HMTU and UMPH in 2017 and 2018.

The workshop has also been an opportunity for MCNV and HMTU to exchange with leaders of relevant rehabilitation centers about the coordination in job placement and creating favorable conditions for BOT students to practice OT services after completing their training.

As of November 2018, the Manipal Academic of Higher Education has for six times sent OT trainers to assist OT courses for 57 BOT students at the HMTU and UMPH. These courses have also been supported in terms of clinical supervision from expatriate volunteers from Japan, Denmark and Australia. In May 2019, as planned, the pilot BOT training program in HMTU will finish with 36 graduates, and by July 2020, 21 more BOT students of regular courses will graduate from the UMPH.

Tireless efforts of MCNV and the Centre for Rehabilitation and Social Inclusion for Children with Disabilities in Cao Bang province was presented in the moving and heart-touching 30 minute documentary film “We can go to school”, which was broadcast at the Life Portrait Program, VTV4 Channel.

For full program, please click here.

For program trailer, please click here.

Program with English subtitle, please click here.

After being broadcast, a large number of friends and colleagues called to congratulate MCNV for this meaningful film. Efforts in a decade to support children with disabilities in Cao Bang were finally recorded and presented to the whole public. These are true honour and also responsibility of MCNV’s staff to continue striving for the community-based rehabilitation work in Vietnam.

On March 5, 2018, Hanoi University of Public Health (HUPH) hosted a welcome event for 10 Master of Public Health students newly arrived from the University of Health Sciences in Laos (UHS). The group is the first batch to participate in the dual-degree, two-year MPH programme shared by the two universities, which encompasses studies in both Laos and Vietnam.

On March 19 2018, MCNV cooperated with the Youth Union of the Vinh Linh High School, Quang Tri, to organize a communication session about mental health care, focusing on “Building a good friendship – Saying “no” to school violence”. This was one of the significant activities in the school year 2017 – 2018 in which MCNV, the Department of Education and Training in Quang Tri and Vinh Linh High School committed to implement to raise high school students’ awareness on mental health care in general and school violence prevention in particular.

The communication session was organized in the Monday Talk at Vinh Linh High School with the participation of more than 600 high school students from sixteen classes grades 10 and 12.

Through drama performances and interactive activities, the communication session helped students realize the causes of school violence, including behavioral and emotional disorders. The it brought out possible solutions to limit and stop school violence.

Drama performance played by students of Vinh Linh high school

Between March 12 and 20, 2018, Mr. Guus Paardekooper, MCNV’s General Director, visited Vietnam for networking and resource-mobilization purposes regarding the dragon fruit value chain project.

The People’s Committee of Quang Tri Province in cooperation with MCNV held a meeting to celebrate the 45^th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between the Netherlands and Vietnam (1973-2018) and 50^th anniversary of MCNV (1968-2018).