EDUCATION

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Vi Nhan Special Education Centre Ban Me Thuot

162 Phan Chu Trinh

Ban Me Thuot city- Daklak province

Tel: 84-50-955733

Daklak province consists of 18 districts and the city of Ban Me Thuot; 27 administrative units at communal level (13 wards, 18 townships and 177 communes) and 2,308 hamlets and highland villages. There are about 1,687,700 people (2004) living in Daklak, which includes 44 ethnic groups (355,266 people) in an area of 13,085 sq. km.

Established in 1997, Vi Nhan Special School is a children's health, educational, and residential treatment agency that helps to manage the day-to-day needs of disabled children not only in the area of Daklak province but also in the surrounding regions of Phu Bon, Gia Rai, Kon Tum, Phan Thiet and Nha Trang. Attempts have therefore been made to introduce a programme of education, training and nutrition in the Vi Nhan Special School as part of a strategy towards achieving the ultimate goal of promoting an inclusive society, one which enables all children and adults, whatever their gender, age, ability, religion or ethnicity, and whatever disability they may have, to participate in and contribute to that society.

We offer intensive treatment for 153 children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 22. According to the type of disability, this breaks down as follows:

Children with hearing impairment: 113

Mentally disabled children (Trisomy, intellectual impairment, cerebral palsy): 28

Children with visual impairment: 12

15 of them are between the ages of 15 and 22. 20 of them are ethnic students. We offer boarding to three-quarters of the students.

16 teachers and five staffs, including seven Sisters, run a Treatment Programme based on a psychological and educational techniques programme which provides education and therapeutic services. Six other voluntary teachers provide music and English courses.

Vi Nhan Special School comprises 10 classes, this breaks down as follows:

- 8 classes for children with hearing impairment

- 1 class for children with visual impairment

- 1 nursery class

- 1 preparatory class for of primary education

- 1 primary class

The school has a vocational workshop focusing on handicrafts (9 students), sewing (7 students), weaving (10 students), carpet' weaving (6 students), silk printing (2 students) massage skill (11 students) and computer skills (8 students).

However, the establishment has very specific requirements and it takes a great deal of time and continuous human, physical and financial resources to gain access for the children, especially disabled children, to education. Our sole source of funding is a limited budget from the Convent St Paul of Chartres in Danang. We can just cover the minimum food and education fees. Some of our teachers intend to leave the establishment because the lack of funds means we cannot offer them the same salary as in other schools. We are therefore seeking a grant to strengthen our capacity.

- to support the cost of education, vocational workshops, nutrition

- to fund materials and equipment, hire therapists and specialists, provide training courses for teachers and other staff

- to share knowledge and experience in areas of teaching and treatment with local and international specialists.

Anyone is welcome to volunteer at the Vi Nhan Special School. We have no expertise or qualified professionals in fields such as Special Educator, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Social Worker, etc. These are urgently needed to provide quality services for disabled children.

The Vi Nhan Special School offers lodging and food for host specialists participating in training courses or supporting all phases of the programme. Please pass on this invitation to your friends and colleagues. A list of the material needed and other requirements is available from the office and we would be very happy to explain our situation. You are warmly welcome to visit our school.

Vi Nhan Special School has many project proposals and we are willing to work together with you. For more information concerning specific initiatives please go to our project's links to read about current projects carried out in Vi Nhan Special School.

Key contact person: sister Elisabeth Nguyen Thi Xuan and sister Lucie Nguyen Thi Kim Yen, director of Vi Nhan Special School .

Adress: 162 Phan Chu Trinh, ville de Ban Me Thuot, province Daklak, Vietnam

Tel: 84-50-95733

e.mail address: elisa_spc@yahoo.com

Web address :

http://sites.internet.lu/folders/spcdanang/vinhan.htm

Sister Celestine Tran Thi Thu and her students

Right now you can make an immediate difference to a child’s life.

Every donation you send helps provide specific services for these children.

Please send your donation to:

Europe:

HSBC PRIVATE BANK (LUXEMBOURG) S.A.

Address: 32, boulevard Royal,

L-2449, Luxembourg

Swift Code: BLICLULX

REF: Convent St Paul of Chartres, Danang, for a Special School Vi Nhan

Account holders:

Madeleine STEINITZ

Do Ly Lan LE

Current Account No:

- EUR: LU771470063710494087

- USD: LU021470063710494079

Vietnam:

Account holder: Huynh Thi An

Current Account No:

- VND: 0041000371467

- USD: 0041370371477

- Other: 0041140371482

Vietcombank

Swift Code: BFTVVNVX004

Address: 140-142 Le Loi st. Danang City

Tel: 84 (0) 511 823503 – 823753 * Fax: 84 (0) 511 826062

REF: for a Special School Vi Nhan