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Vietnam
• At the community level, World Vision
Vietnam develops strong day-to-day
working relationships with local families,
the ones who will benefit directly from the
program. Key in this process is the role of
community volunteers who are trained and
supported by World Vision. This allows for
deeper impact and the development of
human resources in the community, which
will be available after the project finishes.
Impact of the project
Evaluations of World Vision Vietnam’s
community-based rehabilitation work have
indicated that:
• Increased knowledge… and awareness
of disability has been noted in the families
of children with disabilities, the community
and the government. Prior to the project,
people had a low awareness of how to
assist children with disability. Their
definitions showed little understanding of
“disability” beyond restricted movement or
seeing/hearing difficulty; intellectual or
psychiatric conditions were not in their
category of disability. Now, there is greater
understanding; for example, family
members and others in the community
understand that many children with
disabilities need to receive nutritional
attention. These changes in thinking and
attitudes were all made possible through
various training approaches that have been
provided.
• Increased ownership… has followed
increased awareness. Service providers
themselves wanted to do more, but
increased motivation in the communities to
assist children with disabilities has led to
requests for support from World Vision.
This is significant, because previously it was
usually World Vision approaching the
community to provide assistance or plan
activities for these children. There has also
been greater contribution from local
government agencies to the project.
• Increased options… have meant that
local government officers, volunteers, CBR
workers, and their family members now
have a range of ways to help children who
have disabilities. Prior to the project, local
responses would typically see such children
(if they were responded to at all) removed
from the family home and sent to the
hospital, to be provided with medicine or
physical rehabilitation. Now, building on the
knowledge that children with disabilities
need to – and can – go to school, have
friends, go outside, and enjoy fresh air,
communities provide greater options for
these children to fulfil their need for social,
mental and educational rehabilitation.
• Increased quality of life… has been
evident in the children themselves. Some
have made progress in mobility. Equally or
more importantly, many have become
outgoing, no longer afraid of meeting
people other than their family members.
Some children’s speech impairments have
improved, as they have had more visitors,
volunteers and local government officers to
communicate with. The involvement of
these people is stimulating for children, as
it reflects interest in/valuing of them by
others. Children respond to this with
increased levels of energy, engagement and
enquiry. Their voices are now heard –
encouraging others, or speaking on issues
that affect them. Through modelling
approaches, World Vision encourages the
local government to take on this issue by
training and involving volunteers.
• Specific influence on public policy for
provision of services to children has
occurred. Vietnam’s policy is that the state,
society and community will provide health
care, support for foster care, education,
cultural activities, physical training and
sport, and that public buildings will be
accessible for people with disability. Specific
applications of the policy are not always
apparent, however: building designs do not
take disability into account. On the other
hand, hospitals do often exempt poor
children with disabilities from, or give them
discounts on, the costs of medical services.
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