VNAH's Disability Assistance Program Receives National Recognition

President Nguyen Minh Triet (standing-left) with Dang Thi Ngoc Anh and other disabled Vietnamese after the Conference

Hanoi, Vietnam - - On April 16, 2007, VNAH proudly supported Vietnam's Second National Conference for People with Disabilities organized by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the Association for the Disabled and Orphans in conjunction with Vietnam's designated Disability Day on April 18.  During the conference, one of VNAH's vocational training and job placement programs was recognized as the most successful and innovative program to train and provide meaningful employment for Vietnamese with disabilities.  The program, launched in 2003 in Danang City, was developed with strong support from the local business community and the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, helping to ensure the program's success, effectiveness, and sustainability. 

Through the program, VNAH has helped more than 200 disabled individuals from Danang City and the vicinity train for and secure jobs. One such individual is Dang Thi Ngoc Anh, 45, who was born with cerebral palsy. VNAH provided her with some sewing machines and encouraged her to help other people with disabilities in her neighborhood. In late 2005, Ms. Anh obtained government permission to form her own company, Tam Thien, Ltd. (meaning "Sacred Heart"), operating out of her own home in a suburb of Danang.  She now employs and trains 59 disabled youths and plans to establish a new location in another rural district in Quang Nam province.

The Second National Conference for People with Disabilities was televised live to increase public awareness and government support and included an evening concert and interviews. The conference was chaired by Vietnam's President Nguyen Minh Triet and other top government leaders. 

 

First Vice Premier Nguyen Sinh Hung (middle) congratulates Dang Thi Ngoc Anh and her newest student trainee Le My Ai