MCNV FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT

Hue City, November 18, 2025 – The Medisch Comité Nederland – Vietnam (MCNV), in collaboration with the Hue City Social Protection Center (SPC), held a Handover Ceremony of Rehabilitation Equipment to the Center. ­This activity is carried out within the framework of the Master Project “Improving the Quality of Life of Persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange” – (Inclusion Project) – Inclusion 1 Project Component. The event was attended by Mr.Ho Quang Minh, Head of the Social Protection Office, Hue City Department of Health; Mr.Pham Dung, MCNV Chief of Representative Office, Mr.Ngo Duy Binh, Director of Hue City SPC and related agencies. The equipment package donated by Inclusion 1 Proj­­­ect to the Hue City SPC includes 10 treadmills, 10 exercise bikes, 05 multi-functional medical beds, and 05 sets of multi-functional rehabilitation exercise equipment, with a total value of approximately US$ 18,900 (482,000,000 VND). The Hue City SPC currently provides rehabilitation for 500 persons with neuropsychiatric disabilities. The rehabilitation equipment supported by the Inclusion 1 Project will contribute to improving the quality of rehabilitation services and promoting social inclusion for the Center’s beneficiaries. The Inclusion 1 Project is funded by the U.S. Government and owned by the National Action Center for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment. The Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population is the managing partner. MCNV is one of the implementing partners responsible for providing rehabilitation services and professional capacity building of healthworkers on rehabilitation. The project is implemented over five years, from 2022 to 2026, in Quang Tri Province, Hue City, and Da Nang City with the overall objective of improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. The Project has four objectives (1) To expand health and rehabilitation services to improve health status and quality of life of persons with disabilities; (2) To expand care and social services for persons with disabilities; (3) To improve policies and raising awareness, improving public attitudes and ensuring social inclusion of persons with disabilities;(4) To enhance the capacity for managing, implementing, and delivering support services for persons with disabilities at all levels. As of the end of October 2025, the Inclusion 1/Project – MCNV component has provided rehabilitation and care services to about 2,500 persons with disabilities; trained 650 times of healthcare workers in professional rehabilitation techniques, and supported capacity building for 27 health facilities./.

At the age of 20, Ho Van Doai, a young ethnic Bru Van Kieu man from Xa Lang hamlet in Quang Tri province, stood on the threshold of a bright future, full of dreams and possibility. Then, in 2022, fate intervened: a sudden disability left Doai paralyzed. Overnight, his world shrank, confined to a small, cramped wooden room lit only by a dim overhead bulb. Imprisoned in his bed, fully reliant on his mother’s unwavering care, Doai watched his life drift by, day after day, without any prospect of change. His mother’s love was boundless, but she lacked the essential tools, the know-how, and, crucially, the hope. Feeding, cleaning, and supporting Doai were all done flat on the bed—no rehabilitation, no expectation of a different life. The crushing silence of abandonment seemed to settle over their home. Then, the intervention arrived. Since July 7, 2025, the Inclusion 1 project—implemented by Medisch Comité Nederland -Vietnam (MCNV) with support from the US government—reached out. Every weekend, a dedicated team of technicians and rehabilitation specialists braved steep hills and rough roads to reach Doai’s small house. They began with a thorough assessment. They initiated a rehabilitation plan, provided essential assistive devices, and, perhaps most pivotally, they taught Doai to believe again. A custom-made rope was fixed, allowing him to pull himself into a sitting position for the first time in years. His mother was enrolled in a comprehensive caregiver training course, reinforced by visits from a nurse at the district health center. She learned to help Doai sit up, to transfer him safely into a project-provided wheelchair, and to push him to the bathroom for a proper shower. For the first time in three years, Doai felt the cool, cleansing rush of water instead of being merely wiped down. Today, every morning, Doai is wheeled to the threshold of his house, his wheelchair positioned in the sunlight. He breathes the open air. The dim bulb of his former confinement is now eclipsed by the brightness of the front yard and the possibilities that remain. Challenges related to mobility, accessibility, and livelihoods still lie ahead, but the journey has begun, and the shadow has definitively lifted. During Quarter 3/2025, thanks to the Inclusion 1 Project, more than 300 people with disabilities in Quang Tri province, Hue, and Da Nang cities received crucial home-based rehabilitation services. Meanwhile, over 250 people received assistive, orthotic, and prosthetic devices to significantly improve their activities of daily living and overall quality of life. The Inclusion 1 Project is funded by the U.S. Government and owned by the National Action Center for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET). The Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) serves as the managing partner. MCNV is one of the implementing partners responsible for delivering rehabilitation services and providing professional capacity building for health workers./.