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Last September MCNV Laos supported the Nong district government and Nong district education office by contributing 25.458.000 Kip (about 1.425 Euro) for materials needed to repair the roof of the Pa-loiy’s primary school, a village school with 3 teachers and about 90 children. Mrs. Xangthong Kiedtavong, Nong district vice governor and Mr. Kandam Phueiysayavong, Director of Nong district education office received this budget from a MCNV representative.

On the 24th – 25th of November 2022, MCNV organized an exposure visit for a group of ethnic women and representatives of the local authority and community to the processing facility of Nhien Thao Quang Tri Co. Ltd. – a linked enterprise in Quang Tri province, Vietnam.

This was part of the “Promoting Sustainable Partnership between CSOs and Enterprises for Sustainable Forest Management in the Context of Climate Change” (PROSPER) project that is co-funded by the EU and MCNV. One of the the project’s focuses is to promote market-oriented linkages between enterprises with strong corporate social responsibility and indigenous communities in the area.

Contract signing between enterprise and community on the supply of NTFPs

The visit was aimed at concretizing mutual understanding and building trust for a win-win business cooperation. The ethnic poor women in Huong Viet commune took a journey in an entire Custody of Chain, from their supply of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to the stages of material processing and product finishing. Both sides discussed about quality requirements and developed an action plan for future cooperation.

An ethnic woman processing raw material of black locust before delivery

Beside materials of wild pomelo and black locust presently supplied by the women group in Huong Viet commune, the enterprise would expand their material areas with other other kinds of NTFPs such as lime and lemongrass to the other ethnic communities in the province. The stage of processing raw materials would be handed over to the communities to decrease transportation cost for the enterprise and increase the added values of NTFPs for the community suppliers. The nursing of NTFPs seedlings was also taken into deep consideration.

It is the fact that growing demand for NTFPs in the recent decades evokes a special concern over sustainable use, preservation and development of the forest resources in particular and the eco-system in general. To this end, the exposure visit was going on the right track and reached the set goal./.

On the 18^th – 19^th of November 2022, Chenh Venh Eco-Tourism Cluster in Huong Phung commune of Quang Tri province received special guests in the countrywide on a Famtrip in Huong Hoa district. These include around 64 representatives of the local authority and relevant agencies, Vietnam Association of Community Tourism, Tourism Associations in provinces of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Binh and Quang Tri.

The trip, which was jointly organized by Quang Tri Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Helvetas Vietnam and a local tourist enterprise, aimed to consult relevant stakeholders on the improvement and development of  Chenh Venh Eco-Tourism Cluster and Ta Con flowers garden in the years to come. The activity is also part of a technical assistance project titled ‘Biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management’ by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

As part of the Famtrip’s agenda, the delegation spent an entire day of the 18^th of November 2022 at the tourist destination, experiencing a vast of services and visiting all of the tourism attractions consisting of the FSC certified natural forest under the management of the community. At a wrap-up meeting on the next day, the tourists expressed their satisfaction of the services, highly appreciated the tourist operation of the community, and definitely gave feedback on things that need improving in the coming time.

Chenh Venh Eco-Tourism Cluster is an initiative that has been developed, facilitated and supported by MCNV since mid-2021. At a wider scope, in the PROSPER project MCNV provided technical assistance to Chenh Venh ethnic community and the others in neighboring communes to gain FSC certificate for the community-managed natural forest in November 2021, and FSC certificate on eco-system in October 2022. All of these are expected to usher in opportunities for the indigenous people to generate income and improve livelihoods, thus contributing to sustainable forest management./.

*More pictures capturing the trip

Congratulations to 17 physicians on graduating from the 6-month Basic Rehabilitation (Rehab) Course provided by the Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center, Bach Mai Hospital on November 18, 2022.

 Thanks to the valuable guidance of the lecturers from the Training and Direction of Healthcare Activities Center and the Rehab Center, Bach Mai Hospital, 17 trainees coming from three Central and Central Highland provinces (Kon Tum, Binh Dinh, Quang Tri) have completed the course with impressive results:

100% trainees are qualified to be conferred with the certificate of Basic Rehab Training, complying with the Circular No.22/2013/TT-BYT and No.26/2020/TT-BYT issued by the Ministry of Health on continuing education.

 Out of 17 trainees, 01 graduates with High Distiction, 8 with Distinction and 7 with Good results.

Nowadays, manpower shortage is still a challenge facing the rehabilitation sector in Vietnam, especially at the district-level healthcare system. Aiming to address this pressing issue, MCNV proposed for organizing a rehabilitation course for physicians as part of the “Improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange” (Inclusion) project.

The Basic Rehab course was organized by MCNV as part of Inclusion 1 & 2 project, sponsored by USAID via the CCIHP (Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population) and CCRD (Center for Community Health Research and Development). Inclusion project is owned by the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET).

Delivered in six months (May 2022 – November 2022), the course aims to equip the trainees with adequate knowledge and skills in diagnosis and intervention for common conditions that require rehabilitation services such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, knee joint, hip joint replacement.

The trainees are provided with relevant skills in screening, providing assessment and intervention for patients and persons with disabilities (PwDs) in hospitals and the community./.

*More photos: