Dong Anh Project

Assistance to Disabled Children

* Background

In 1991, the Commtittee for Children Protection and Care (CCPC) in Ha Noi offered the first five Compassion Classes in three communes - Uy No, Nam Hong, Van Noi - of Dong Anh district, Ha Noi, an insentive program of the CCPC with financial supports from Ha Noi's residents, Oversea Vietnameses and foreigners. The program focuses on basic academic and vocational skills for disabled children under 16. There are 73,527 children under 16 in these communes, a high percentage of whom is disabled due to malnutrition, lack of health care, and or exposure to war time hazadous chemicals.

* The needs asssessement

The CCPC social workers have devoted their time to outreach. Efforts were made to recruit more than 200 disabled children into these classes. At first, the parents and relatives of disabled children seemed reluctant to send them to these classes -[due to strong social stigmatization against the disabled, parents tend to hide their children's disability].

However,social workers patiently paid many home visits to introduce the program to the children's families and to gain their cooperation and participation. Prospective families received questionnaires to assess the children's disibilities and level of needs. Based on the needs assessement Vocational Training Classes--Sewing and Weaving classes for older children--were developed to improve children's self-help skills.

CCPC also organized workshops for teachers in 1992 and 1993 to inform teachers about issues on children's physical and mental disabilities to familiarize teachers with curriculum in special needs education.

* VNHELP's contributions

In July 1992, after discussion with Ms. Nguyen Kim Ngan of Uy No Commune and with Mrs. Nguyen Van Chinh of CCPC, VNHELP contributed $250 for necesssary school supplies for the children in Uy No commune. In March 1993, with the financial support of the elderly supporters in Washington and San Jose, VNHELP provided $1,000 for the purchase of 20 sewing machines for the Vocational training classes in Uy No, Nam Hong and Van Noi communes. In July 1993, with $200 donations from Mrs.Trinh Thuc My in Seattle, WA, VNHELP bought 1,000 notebooks, 200 pens, pencilss, crayons, and 100 small blackboard for the children in Compassion Classes in Uy No commune.

Over the years, VNHELP staff and supporters have made many trips to Ha Noi to visit the Compassion Classes. In November 1993, our staff member, Nguyen Hai Bang visited the classes in Van Noi commune, and he was very impressed with the students' progress. The students with speech problem now can speak much clearer and can start learning Math and the children in the Vocational class can sew pants, small handbags, and cut pattern. They were happy to show us the donated sewing machines from VNHELP and proud to hand the handbags to us for souvenir.

* Learning Self-help skills

- Nguyen Cong Hung in Uy No, Nguyen Van Quang of Van Noi, Ngo Thi Tuyet in Nam Hong, were among the students who attended the Vocational classes supported by VNHELP last year.

- Ngo Thi Tuyet, 15, in Nam Hong commune, started school for the first time in 1991 and attendded the vocational training class for a year. Now she can sew blouses and follow most instructions and makes vast improvements every day.

- Nguyen Cong Hung, 16, joined the Compassion Class in Uy No commune in its first year through the vocational training program. Participating in the sewing class has built Hung's confidence in his physical ability and launched him in a new career as a tailor.

- Nguyen Van Quang, 13, in Van Noi, first came to the Vocational class in March 1993. After attending for 3 months Quang came to enjoy sewing and felt confident that he has learned to sew a handbag.

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The continuing support of the Compassion classes will help provide a supportive setting for poor and disabled children to improve their education and self-help skills.