INTRODUCTION
Caritas Vietnam and 20 Caritas dioceses are working to help people with disabilities and people with HIV to better integrate into their communities.  This project is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through technical support of Caritas Germany. Through two project stages of three years, Caritas Vietnam has cooperated with Caritas dioceses to carry out myriad activities to support people with HIV and people with disabilities to access social services and support these persons towards community integration.
Up to now, there are 19 Caritas dioceses participating in the Disability Program and 16 participating in the Support for HIV program. These two programs are combined in the same project with many general implementation activities. The project will continue for a third 3-year period and the activity will focus more specifically on beneficiaries.

GOAL
The purpose of this project is to address the marginalized and vulnerable situation of people with disabilities (PWDs) and people with HIV with a comprehensive, multi-dimensional, community-based approach to promoting participation and social integration.
BENIFICIARY
The project benefits people living with HIV and people with disabilities in Caritas dioceses, regardless of religion, age, or gender.  The project focuses especially on the most vulnerable.

OBJECTIVES
 Project objectives are divided into three levels:
 Level 1: Aimed at persons living with disabilities and with HIV
•    Increase access to health, education, life and social services.  Help beneficiaries learn to request social services independently.
•    Improve quality of life of beneficiaries through improved health care, education and training opportunities, income generating activities, social dynamics with support of the Diocesan Caritas network.
 Level 2: Aimed at Caritas Dioceses
•    Improve cooperation between the two programs (PWD and HIV) at Caritas dioceses in order to provide better services to beneficiaries and their families in all areas of life, including in the life of the Church.
•    Ensure that diocesan Caritas staff have knowledge of PWDs, HIV/AIDS, and social work, and that they have a strong commitment to work for the affected population and their families.
•    Ensure that Diocesan Caritas staff have working skills, competency and confidence to work with stakeholders at the diocesan and provincial levels to promote and contribute to PWDs, PLHIV and their families.
 Level 3: Aimed at the Caritas Vietnam National Office
•    Ensure that Caritas Vietnam's activities supporting People with Disabilities and People with HIV reach quality and scale.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
•    Deliver capacity-building trainings for social workers, staff, and volunteers in dioceses.
•    Establish new and strengthen existing networks and volunteers in dioceses to provide maximum support for people with disabilities and people with HIV in the community.
•    Organize workshops and seminars for people with HIV and people with disabilities and create opportunities for them to show their voice and exercise their rights.
•    Promote and support the dioceses as they seek out, link, establish and support people with HIV and people with disabilities to improve their voices among their community.
•    Associate with internal and external organizations to support and create conditions for people with disabilities and people with HIV to integrate into the community.

RESULTS
Since the beginning of this project, Caritas Vietnam has partnered with 20 Caritas dioceses across the country: 19 participating in the Disability Support program and 16 participating in Support for People with HIV. We have established and developed a specialized network and collaborators at 20 dioceses, with professionally trained staffs.
Training courses have been conducted on many topics to improve the capacity of staff and volunteers, including: Introduction to working with PWD and HIV, Case Management, Group Management, Consultation, and Communication.
Networks of organizations such as hospitals, religious congregations, schools, and local authorities have been jointly and collaboratively implemented on many levels, especially from the diocesan level and parish level to support these people.
Many seminars with stakeholder engagement have been carried out, from the office level to the diocesan level, all aimed at improving the rights and voices of people living with HIV and people living with disabilities.
Self-help groups and clubs have been established in a majority of dioceses, which operate independently and rely on their own internal resources.

CALL FOR COOPERATION
The number of people in need living with disabilities and living with HIV is huge.  This project is only a small contribution.  Therefore, we humbly invite your cooperation, to join us, to support these less fortunate people, and to help them overcome their difficulties in life, first and foremost of inclusion in their community.
 

For further information, please contact:

COMMISSION ON CHARITY AND SOCIAL ACTIONS - CARITAS VIETNAM

Phone: +84 (028) 3727-1904

Email Caritas office: caritasvietnamccsa@gmail.com

Email Caritas office: caritasvietnamccsa@gmail.com

Website: www.caritasvietnam.org

BANK ACCOUNT

ACCOUNT NAME: CARITAS VIET NAM

1. Account number for money:
   • VND: 033100379133.5
   • USD: 033137379370.5
   • EURO: 033114380725.6
2. Bank: Vietcombank
   Sai Gon Branch, 69 Bui Thi Xuan St., Dist 1. HCM City
3. Swift code: BFTVVNVX
4. Bank code: 79203008

* Please do not transfer to any other accounts.