Many clubs are interested in the small grants fund

NMA-V and Can Tho DPO had two-days meeting review of small grants on June 5th - 6th, 2019. This year DP Can Tho has received 22 proposals submitted by Clubs of people with disabilities and special schools for children with disabilities in 8 provinces of Mekong Delta. This small grant activity is a part of disability inclusion project in Can Tho DPO funded by NMAV.

Club leaders took turn to present their proposal plan and debated in front of the review committee. This was a way to build capacity for club leaders not only proposal writing skill but presentation skill as well. Last year, most of these clubs were received the funding to implement community awareness raising and capacity building for group members and had specific achievements, but they did not know how to include impacts in their proposals.

For instance, Club of people with spinal cord injury in Tien Giang province shared club members to be more confident, live positively after attending to peer-counseling program. Currently, members want to have apprenticeship training to earn living. Luckily, Mr. Cuong, who is Club leader and have experience to make shoes as well as run a shoes shop successfully, is willing to train members to be shoes makers and support them to be more independent. This is a big progress for peer support group with spinal cord injury.

For people with hearing impairment, lack of social knowledge and skills due to language barrier is most challenges. Through activities of small grants, they had more opportunities to improve not only their knowledge and skills but also resources mobilization from their local special schools. For example, Vinh Long Deaf Club knows to use resources of Center for supporting Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities in Vinh Long Province for training activities or group meetings. Furthermore, Ms.Uyen – group leader said: “thanks NMA-V and Can Tho DPO for creating opportunity for Vinh Long Deaf Club to learn basic sign language and increase Vietnamese vocabulary to communicate each other. Now some members are confident to sign and record video sharing with their peers.”  

Another member of Deaf Club shared “thanks to small grant, I have knowledge of reproductive health. I know to protect myself and my partner through having safe sex. After the training, I ask my girlfriend before having sex.”  

In general, Clubs have significant changes through capacity building activities. And they hope to continue receiving supports in the near future.

By Luu Thi Anh Loan, project leader Inclusion and Climate Change 

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