Community-Based Inclusive Development Project

This is a success story about the promotion of people with disabilities. We have paid attention and actively supported people with disabilities to participate in society and have a more comfortable life by spreading knowledge about the equality rights of people with disabilities to the community, promoting income-generating activities, improving roads for people with disabilities to access, referring people with disabilities for treatment, therapy, etc. which has some outstanding articles that show our success, invite you to read and follow along:

Light in the dark (visually impaired case)

Ms. Song is 34 years old and lives with her family in Houay Khai Village, SamNeua District, HouaPhan Province. She has been visually impaired since birth. He cannot see. When she moves around, she must use a walking stick to help herself. In the past, she has not been treated or received any help from other parties.

During 2016-2018, she went to learn ancient plank massage at the Society for the Visually Impaired in Vientiane. After she finished her studies, she came back to Houay Khai village to use the knowledge she had gained to make a good career. Until March 2021, the project team visited to assess her health with experts from the Humanity & Inclusion (HI) and experts from the Rehabilitation Medical Center of HouaPhan Province. It is estimated that both eyes are unable to see because of their birth. After the evaluation, the team started preparing - providing goats and giving her the equipment to build a goat cage. After the action plan was implemented, she received 3 goats from the project. She and her family were also involved in monitoring and feeding the goats according to the advice of experts to help the family's livelihood and economy improve.

She said that even though she has a visual disability, she is not shy or ashamed of who she is, because she is encouraged by her family, and the family still gives her warmth and care. At the same time, the team also told us that although she is visually impaired, she has a good level of ancient massage experience.

Written by: Thavone Keokhamvong, Date: July 2023

The Community-based Inclusive Development Project (AC5 CBID) in 25 village, Houaphan Province and 18 villages, Savannakhet Province

Va Chong, a physically disabled person from HouaPhan province

Mr. Vazong is 67 years old and lives in Houay Khai Village, SamNeua District, HouaPhan Province. He has a physical disability, such as: weak muscles (small legs). which he has had since he was young, making it difficult for him to use his daily life. He could not walk, and movement caused pain in his legs and muscles. Today, he lives with his nephew's family of 8 members. The person who looks after the main pillar of the family is the nephew, who is only 29 years old and whose main occupation is farming and animal husbandry.

During the past period, Va zong said that he could not reach society because the road was not convenient and both of his legs were not strong, so he could not walk out of the house. Until April 25, 2021, The Community-based Inclusive Development Project (AC5 CBID) in SamNeua District area and the surgical team of the provincial hospital in HouaPhan province have made an initial health assessment regarding the difficulties in Laos. It seems that he really needs help.

Written by: MouaZong, Date: March 2023

The Community-based Inclusive Development Project (AC5 CBID) in 25 village, Houaphan Province and 18 villages, Savannakhet Province

Therefore, on June 23, 2021, our team and the treatment team handed over the support equipment in the form of a stick and provided funds for raising animals for him.

After receiving the support equipment and using it, Mr. Va zong said to the project team that "I am very happy to receive support from the project, not only to help in terms of equipment but also to provide funding for animal husbandry, such as providing goats, introducing how to raise goats, and receiving a three-legged cane so that I can walk around easily."

Seng is physically disabled but has the heart of a fighter

Mr. Seng is 55 years old, he lives with his family in PakBor village, Kaysone Phomvihan city, Savannakhet province. He is physically disabled; his left leg is missing. The cause is the effect of an unexploded bomb since the age of 14 years. Seng has difficulty moving around in daily life, he graduated from middle-class carpentry, which can do house construction, and he is also hired as a general construction worker because he is the head of the family and works hard to generate income for the family. Even though Seng has a disability, he is diligent and active in finding food to support his family. He is disabled, but he does not give up and fights for his life. In addition, he has the skills and ability to invent his own household equipment, such as chairs, beds, courts, and even a boat to catch fish to sell.

Written by: Souksavath, Date: March 2023

The Community-based Inclusive Development Project (AC5 CBID) in 25 village, Houaphan Province and 18 villages, Savannakhet Province

Until September 2020, the team went to screen and interview initially. They found that he had difficulty commuting and working. Then, in November 2020, they went to meet him to assess his individual needs. In February 2021, the team made a business plan with him, seeing that he was interested in raising goats. At the end of July 2021, the project team had an initial health assessment by a doctor from the Rehabilitation Medical Center of Savannakhet Province, who assessed that he is physically disabled (his left leg is missing) and really needs help. After the plan was completed, the team prepared to provide activities for him, gave him the equipment to build a goat cage, and gave him 03 goats. The team told him that: the project came to help him, he was very lucky because the project helped in generating income, so it made his family's income increase; and he also said that he was very happy that the project helped him with a support device (prosthetic leg) because it helped him to use his daily life and work better.

MeeNa, a bright little girl, has received a walking aid

Written by: Souksavath, Date: March 2023

The Community-based Inclusive Development Project (AC5 CBID) in 25 village, Houaphan Province and 18 villages, Savannakhet Province

Miss Meena is 7 years old. a little girl with a physical disability (both legs are limp). She was born in a peasant family where there are 4 people in the family: the grandfather, father, mother, and her. The main caregiver is the mother, the family is engaged in farming, gardening, animal husbandry, and selling charcoal. The family has a number of debts issued in the name of the grandparents because of the recent social situation, and dreams of changing the income is not enough.

Most of the expenses come from daily use, such as food, water, electricity, social security, and debt payments. After completing the screening and providing walking aids to Meena, the project facilitators assessed their individual needs and continued to plan income-generating activities by assessing them. The main activity of the family is to raise chickens, and the secondary plan is to raise goats, with the father and mother being the recipients of the activity instead. Until now, the chicken breeding activities have been continued, but in the past, there was an epidemic that caused the chickens that were provided to die almost completely. There are now more than 20 of the 90 chickens left. The family has a need to change the activity of raising chickens to raising goats instead.

The project team monitored the activity of providing animals to Ms. Meena's family once a week. In addition to monitoring the supply of animals, visiting the target group is also a conversation to build closeness with the group. Ms. Meena's mother told the team that: the family is happy to receive help from the project, making her daughter more confident in learning to walk than before, but without the handrail, Meena would not have walked at all. After receiving the walking aid, Meena has become more confident in learning to walk and can sometimes use a hand from the walking cage.