On September 13, 2022, the Dong Nai Union of Friendship Organizations
(DUFO), together with the Provincial Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs and
Dong Nai University, received and worked with the delegation of Latter - day
Saint Charities (LDSC/USA) to visit and introduce the organization's new
personnel in Vietnam and discuss about Dong Nai province's need for foreign non-governmental
aid cooperation for the period of 2022 - 2023.
At the
meeting, there were Ms. Bui Thi Lieu - Standing Vice President of DUFO, Mr. Le
Anh Duc - Rector of Dong Nai University, representatives of the Provincial
Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs, members of Division of Foreign Non - Governmental Affairs and the
LDSC delegation including Ms. Dana Tyree Mc Makin and Mr. Allan Perry Mc Makin
- Welfare Specialist of LDSC in Vietnam.
The
two parties discussing the mutual concerned issues
It is known that Mr and Mrs. Mackin are
newly appointed and in charge of the South of Vietnam by LDSC until June 2024.
At the meeting, the delegation wishes to learn more about the two projects introduced
by the DUFO at the Conference on FNG aid mobilization and cooperation
"Cooperation and Development" in Dong Nai, specifically: the project
"Education for deaf students at the Research Center on Culture andd
Language of the Deaf" presented by Dong Nai University and the project
"Houses construction for ethnic minorities" presented by the
Provincial Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs.
Representative of Dong Nai University,
Mr. Le Anh Duc - Rector of the school, said that the Research Center on Culture
andd Language of the Deaf is the only educational location in the country that trains
deaf students from grade 1 to college and university level. So far, the Center
has trained more than 30 college and university graduates who later work as
teachers in the provinces, including 7 students who have worked for and collaborated
with the Center after their graduation. Although it has been partially funded
by the budget, there isn’t enough costs and facilities for learning and
teaching. The students at the Center are not only local ones but also from
other provinces and cities with different backgrounds. If the project is
supported for implementation, it will create favourable conditions for the deaf
students and teachers of the center to have enough learning equipment, the
costs for teaching and learning activities, and the suitable educational
environment so that more and more deaf children can go to school, learn and widen
knowledge to help them confidently communicate and integrate into the
community.
For the project ""Houses construction
for ethnic minorities"", Mr. Dieu Ngoc Anh, representative of the
Provincial Department of Ethnic Minority Affairs, said that currently there are
2,572 ethnic minority households living in temporary shelters or accommodations
donated many years ago and deteriorated.
In addition, Hamlet 4, Ta Lai Commune, Tan Phu District is a remote,
disadvantaged area, adjacent to Nam Cat Tien National Forest, with a high proportion
of ethnic minorities. Most of them are the poor households. Since then there
has been a great need for NGOs, donors to cooperate with the government to
solve difficulties for the people, especially housing for poor households, building
roads, providing clean water for daily life, sponsoring bicycles and scholarships
for children to go to school, preserving brocade weaving culture, grant breeds
for cattle and animal husbandry to reduce poverty...
Delegates posing group photos
At the meeting, LDSC showed its high
determination to cooperate and support two projects of Dong Nai University and
the Provincial Department for Ethnic Minority Affairs. The organization hopes
that the Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations will always create conditions
and be a bridge to organize the implementation of humanitarian activities to
many disadvantaged individuals and families in Dong Nai province.