Background

Dien Ban is an impoverished countryside region, 15 minutes drive from the popular UNESCO World Heritage tourist destination of Hoi An City. It has a population of approximately 200,000; nearly 50% of households make their living from the agricultural, forestry and aquaculture sectors.

The Need

Dien Ban has one of the highest proportions of disabled and disadvantaged children in Quang Nam Province. The local government authorities attribute this, in part, to the fact that area was heavily bombed and sprayed with defoliants, during the war with the United States. Based on government records, there are over 1,000 children with disability, the majority of whom do not have access to essential education and therapy services.

To address this need, the Kianh Foundation built a custom-designed Day Centre for children with disability. The Centre is the first of its kind in the region and will address a critical gap by providing much-needed special education and therapies such as physiotherapy and speech to children with disability.

This project directly contributes to the Vietnamese Government's Socio-Economic Development Strategy and Plan. It supports Vietnam's achievements of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Finally, the project will become an example of good practice and capacity building that could be replicated in other areas of Vietnam.

Project Partners (Construction Phase)

Construction of the Day Centre was made possible by the generous support of the following Australian organisations:

Project Partners (Operating Phase)

The construction of the Centre was completed early 2012. The Centre was officially opened on 11 April 2012.

As we move in to the operational phase of the Centre, we are grateful for the generous support and assistance that we are receiving from the following International organisations: