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Chances for inclusion

The short documentary film is about inclusive education for children with disability in Cao Bang. The Center for Rehabilitation and Inclusive Education is opening chances for education for more children with disability year after year.

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Nutrition sensitive agriculture in Lao PDR and Vietnam

Background

Despite significant development progress in recent years, hunger remains a significant problem in Lao PDR, with 44% of children under 5 years old being malnourished placing their lives at risk and damaging their lifelong health. This issue is particularly severe in Nong District, one of the poorest areas in Lao PDR, and where the people can suffer food shortages for many months in the year. To tackle these problems MCNV takes a nutrition-sensitive approach to its agricultural and livelihoods work within some of poorest villages in the district.

MCNV’s responses

This approach seeks to maximize agricultures contribution to nutrition and recognizes the multiple benefits derived from enjoying a varied and nutritious diet, the social significance of food and the importance of agriculture in supporting rural livelihoods. Instead of focusing exclusively on crop production for the market, villagers use their land to cultivate a variety of commodities including fruits, vegetables, small livestock and fish. In Nong, MCNV has supported this approach by supporting the development of fish ponds, providing seeds and equipment for home gardens and strengthening village veterinary services to ensure healthy livestock. MCNV’s approach to agriculture also entails promoting gender equity, and providing nutrition education so that household resources are used to improve nutrition, especially that of women and young children. For example, the approach looks at the division of labour between men and women, to ensure mothers have enough time to breastfeed their infants. Finally, MCNV adopts a multi-sectoral approach to nutrition linking agriculture to sectors that address other causes of malnutrition, namely education, health and social protection.

Achievements

Through working in partnership with organisations ranging from village development committees to the Ministries of Agriculture, MCNV has improved agricultural production whilst preserving the soil, land and water that villagers depend upon, but most importantly it has helped to reduce hunger and malnutrition improving the health of children with lifelong benefits.

Future direction

In the coming years MCNV is working with the Food and Business Knowledge Platform and VU University in the Netherlands to conduct research into the impacts of nutrition-sensitive agriculture to ensure that it can be scaled-up so many more people in Lao PDR and elsewhere can benefit from this approach.

http://knowledge4food.net/research-project/scaling-up-nutrition-sensitive-agricultural-initiatives-in-vietman-and-laos/

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People with a mental illness in Quang Tri

Spring Campaign:  MCNV magazine 2016-01

In the beginning of 2016, MCNV called attention to support people with a mental illness, like Ken, a young boy who lived in a wooden cage for many years, his schizophrenia seemingly untreatable.

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Orphans in Ha Long

Christmas campaign MCNV magazine 2015-04

The December 2015 Campaign was devoted to grandparents in Ha Long taking care of their grandchildren, the parents having died of hiv/aids.

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Occupational therapy for disabled people

Autumn Campaign: MCNV magazine 2016-03

In the autumn of 2016 we asked for your contribution to start up a professional training program for occupational therapists in Vietnam.

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MCNV supports the provision of water supplies in remote villages in Lao PDR

Access to clean water is vital to health and MCNV has been pleased to support the installation of boreholes in remote villages in Nong District, Lao PDR.

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Dutch Open 2016 marked another year of Good Will and Charity Spirit of the Dutch Business Community and Partners in Vietnam

On Friday, November 25th, the Dutch Business Association in Vietnam (DBAV) hosted their 3rd annual charity golf tournament on the fairways at Song Be Golf Course.

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MCNV’s 40-years history

In 1968, the Dutch medical doctors Professor Jaap de Haas, Dr. Nick van Rhijn and Dr. Fred Groening founded the Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam. They were indignant about the Americans’ technological warfare in Vietnam and distressed by the suffering of the Vietnamese people.

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Support the worker bees of Vietnam

All over Vietnam women are working hard, in the rice-fields, in small shops and restaurants, but also sweeping streets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the dead of night. These women work as busy bees, but what if something goes wrong?

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MCNV Magazine 2016-04

Link to MCNV Magazine 2016 number 4 (magazine in Dutch).

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