On 11 May, at the Dong A 2 Hotel, Thai Nguyen City, IDEA coordinated with the Thai Nguyen City Association of People with Disabilities to organise “Meeting of core groups and self-help groups of people with disabilities” as part of the project “Promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in Vietnam” funded by the Embassy of Finland.
More than 40 members with disabilities from core and self-help groups of local Associations of People with Disabilities attended: Tan Cuong, Thinh Duc, Quyet Thang and Phuc Triu communes, and Song Cong City, Thai Nguyen province.
Since late 2015, when the project began, members of the core groups have been formed and have developed further self-help groups in localities. The groups have actively taken part in skills training courses to develop the capacity and networks of the Associations/Groups.
To date, many activities of the Associations/Groups have been organised by themselves, such as: programmes to mark the Day of People with Disabilities; peer counselling, visits and encouragement of members; recruiting members; and mobilising resources from local authorities and benefactors… These activities have changed perceptions, reduced discrimination, helped give people with disabilities a voice, and brought more attention and support from local authorities and society.
At this meeting, the Associations/Groups set out their plan of activities for the next six months of 2017.
Thu Trang