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Last week, after a period of extensive discussions, the Supervisory Board of MCNV and Guus Paardekooper, General Director, have decided to end their collaboration. A difference of opinion on the MCNV policy for the coming years and more specific on its strategy and timing are at the root of this decision.

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 March 29, 2018, the partners of the LICM project (Learning about the use of Innovative Communication Methods ) came together in Vientiane for a final review of successes and lessons learnt after a year of joint activities. Coordinated by MCNV, this collaborative effort sought to empower vulnerable youth groups in Laos, providing them with skills and means to advocate more effectively for their specific needs.  Each implementing partner represented a vulnerable youth group with a particular constituency: Proud to Be Us (representing LGBTQI) , the Lao Disabled People’s Association (disabled youth) and Vientiane Youth Centre (minority youth groups).

One of the problems highlighted by this project is that in Laos, the majority of the population (about 60%) is under 25 years old, yet young people rarely have the opportunity to contribute to decisions that are taken about their lives. Practices and policies that could be better informed from more youth participation include those related to the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people, especially young vulnerable people. To obtain more knowledge about specific SRHR issues of different groups of vulnerable youth in Laos and enable vulnerable youth to learn about and advocate for better SRHR, MCNV in partnership with three Lao organizations decided to implement LICM as an action-research project. This allowed LICM to explore the potential of diverse Innovative Communication Methods such as songs, dance, theatre and participatory video for peer-learning, behavior change and advocacy.

Training on Photo Voice carried out by LPDA staff members.

LICM has demonstrated that it is possible to enable the vulnerable youth of Lao PDR to influence SRHR practices and policies in their immediate communities and beyond. Activities focused on improving communications: advocacy workshops, learning  exchanges, photo exhibitions, training in innovative communications methods, advocacy events with peers and policy makers. One of the most creative outputs produced by the LICM project were shadow dramas, which bring to light complex problems of social interaction in an appealing format:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNJxZeWwLEE (Forbidden Love)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGUiy_Iv3xA (Life of Kham)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXYJmTB-jAE&feature=youtu.be (Kam Phaeng Huk)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgUfLr3kHYM&feature=youtu.be (Phouthai)

This project was funded by Voice, an innovative grant facility that supports the most marginalised and discriminated people in ten low- and lower-middle income countries in Africa and Asia. Aiming to amplify and connect thus far unheard voices in efforts to leave no one behind, this initiative is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. LICM also served as co-financing for the MCNV led LEARN Programme (Lao Equity through Policy Analysis and Research Networks) a five year effort to enhance the capabilities of public health institutes in Laos, bringing together a range of partners working in education and health policy for this purpose.

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.