Since October 2017, MCNV has started to implement the project “Development of Speech and Language Therapy Education in Vietnam”, for 5 years from October 2017 to September 2022. This is a component project under the DISTINCT Project by VietHealth, with fund from USAID. The goal of the Project is to establish a solid foundation for development of an official education system of Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) profession in Vietnam.

The University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh city (UMP) and Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy (DUMTP) participate in this project as implementing partners to MCNV.  Trinh Foundation Australia (TFA) participates in this Project to coordinate participation of Australian SALT lecturers from different Australian universities as a technical consultation partner to MCNV.

In two days of October 2nd and 3rd 2018 in Da Nang, MCNV and Da Nang UMTP co-organized the Workshop “Developing curriculum for a Bachelor of Rehabilitation Techniques with Specialization in Speech and Language Therapy” with technical consultancy from Sydney University from Australia. This is the first activity of cooperation between MCNV and Da Nang UMTP to aim at developing a training curriculum and implementing a regular training course in Bachelor of Rehabilitation with specialization in speech and language therapy.

Participants of the Workshop were national and international specialists, educators, managers from health care education universities and the Ministry of Health.

The objective of the Workshop was to develop a Vietnamese contextualized curriculum for a Bachelor of Rehabilitation Techniques with Specialization in Speech and Language Therapy..

In the Workshop,  a draft of a training framework and curriculum for speech and language therapist at bachelor level was developed and commented. After this Workshop, MCNV and related counterparts will continue working together to finalize the documents and make them available and ready for application in the coming 2019 – 2020 school year in Da Nang UMTP.

On November 16^th 2018, the celebration of the MCNV’s 50^th anniversary took place at the International Convention Center, Hanoi. Participating in the event were about 150 guests representing a wide range of Vietnamese institutions and partners.

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.

Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) is a profession recognised around the world for supporting people who have difficulties in communication and swallowing. Speech and language therapists diagnose and treat communication disorders in children and adults. Treatment includes speech, language, voice and fluency therapy and nonverbal, multi-modal communication supports (e.g. picture systems, sign languages, alternative and augmentative communication), swallowing, eating and drinking.

From November 2017 to end of January 2018, MCNV and Trinh Foundation Australia collaborated to carry out an assessment of the speech and language therapy training needs in Vietnam. The key findings from the assessment were that there was a large, documented need for speech and language therapy services for all types of communication and swallowing disorders across all age groups but the need was not met, and that demand for human resources for speech and language therapy was increasing rapidly across regions and societies.

The assessment was conducted in eight provinces, including: Hanoi, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Hue, Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc and Hai Duong.

On April 4 2018, MCNV and its project partners organized a workshop to share the results of the assessment.

Mr Pham Dung, MCNV’s Vietnam Country Director was signing the MOU with project partners.

In the meeting to celebrate 45 years the diplomatic relation between Vietnam and the Netherlands and 5 years the establishment of the Vietnam – Netherlands on May 10 2018 at the Water Irrigation University Hanoi, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mrs. Nienke Trooster had special words for MCNV and highlighted that MCNV was a Dutch NGO that have had “great efforts in supporting communities in Vietnam for the last 50 years.”

Participated in the meeting were representatives of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committees, Former Ambassadors of Vietnam to the Netherlands, lecturers of the Irrigation University and representatives of international development organizations. From the Embassy of the Netherlands, there were the Ambassador, the First Secretary and Counsellors.

The ambassador of the Netherlands to Vietnam, Mrs. Nienke Trooster delivered an impressive speech about the relation of the two countries. According to Mrs. Trooster, “The relation between the two country is not just a diplomatic relation but it has developed into a true friendship. The two countries have well cooperated to achieve Millennium Goals and Sustainable Development Goals.” The Ambassador affirmed both her predecessors and herself enjoyed the work in Vietnam and were proud to be part of the great journey. Looking at the relation, Mrs. Trooster was confident to say it has been improving effectively and consistently.

Especially Mrs. Trooster honored MCNV as a Dutch NGO which was dedicated absolutely to the development of Vietnam in the last 50 years. “Over the years, non-governmental of the two countries have cooperated to address social issues, including health, gender, labour rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Among all, there is a special organization – MCNV – which has worked hard and contributed to help address development issues in Vietnam. I cannot wait to see the documentary film about MCNV in their celebration of 50 years at the end of this year in Hanoi.”

These words have encouraged MCNV to continue trying and making efforts to support marginalised groups in Vietnam.

The official meeting closed by a prestigious documentary film about the relation between the two countries which was filmed by Dutch film makers in the 70s of the 20^th century.

On May 29 2018, MCNV in collaboration with the Department of Health, Dien Bien province, organized successfully the workshop “Community-based Rehabilitation”. Participating in the workshop was 60 representatives coming from the Ministry of Health, different state agencies in Dien Bien and the Association of People with Disability at grass-roots level. In the workshop, participants discussed about community-based rehabilitation, the situation of people with disability in the province, and contributions of MCNV to community-based rehabilitation activities in Dien Bien during the last five years.

Especially with the participation and presentation of the Ministry of Health, participants in the workshop had a chance to understand better the overall picture of rehabilitation, relevant laws and policies as well as the direction to develop rehabilitation in Vietnam in the future.

Representatives of departments of health and the Dien Bien Department of Education and Training attended the workshop and shared ideas about the situation of people and children with disability in community.

The Dien Bien TV and various news and media channels in Dien Bien came and reported the event.

Ms. Cẩm Tú and Mr. Bảo Anh, two senior managers from PwC, Ho Chi Minh city branch, visited and worked with the Ben Tre Micro Finance project in Binh Dai district on July 6^th, 2018.

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.