The U.S. Embassy is funding the "Developing Communication Skills for People with Disabilities" project of the Hoa Da Club.

This activity is part of a series of projects celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and received funding thanks to the humanitarian significance and dedication of the students in developing the project. Student Luong Thi Ngoc Linh (K61 Psychology, Head of Hoa Da Club) shared: In 2017, in collaboration with Ms. Nguyen Minh Chau - Member of the Hanoi City Committee for Youth with Disabilities in the project "A Lens on Disability Rights," Hoa Da Club successfully organized the "Lens of Love" program. Building on that success, and having access to information about the YSEALI program of the US Embassy, ​​the Vice Head of Hoa Da Club - student Do Thi Huyen Trang - proposed the initiative for the project "Developing Communication Skills for People with Disabilities" and, together with the Club's Executive Board, developed a detailed plan.

Poster for the "Raise your voice, change your life" contest, part of the Project.

The project targets people with disabilities aged 16-35, living and working in Hanoi. The project focuses on supporting and providing the necessary knowledge and skills to improve communication and presentation skills for people with disabilities, while also helping them become more proactive and confident in their studies, work, and life. The project also creates a forum for people with disabilities to voice their opinions on their own issues and to interact and share with each other, aiming to build a positive and humane life.

Young people with disabilities participate in the Project with a youthful and enthusiastic spirit.

After more than half a month of waiting, the project was approved by the US Embassy. Immediately after the communication campaign, nearly 30 young people with disabilities in Hanoi registered to participate, and 24 were selected for Phase II – the training phase. From November 18-22, 2018, training activities focused on “Teamwork Skills,” “Discovering Your Self-Worth,” “Presentation Skills,” and “Critical Thinking and Responding Skills.” On December 3, 2018, Phase III will begin with the final round of the presentation and public speaking competition, featuring three groups of nine contestants. Each group will create videos introducing their group and present on self-chosen topics related to people with disabilities. The judging panel for the final round includes famous MCs such as: MC Hanh Phuc, MC Cong To, MC Thanh Mai – Director of Vietskills Professional Children's MC Training Company, and visually impaired bilingual MC Dao Huong.

The Project's communication and presentation training sessions.

The project received positive feedback from both the participants and the judges. Ms. Tran Hong Dung (Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Thai Son Technology Company, and Permanent Vice President of the Forever 20 Foundation) shared her feelings about being a judge in the "Raise your voice, change your life" training round on her personal page: "A very rewarding afternoon and competition, not only for the participants but also for us - the judges. Because here - from these people with disabilities - we have been given a beautiful belief in life, in the extraordinary willpower to overcome fate - an admirable optimism."

Tran Thanh Trung (a contestant in the competition) shared: "Thank you to the organizers for holding this event. When I registered, I didn't think so many people would participate, and that they were all promising individuals. Personally, I always appreciate and support meaningful community programs like this. The program has contributed to building self-confidence for people with disabilities, especially in influencing and changing the mindset and perspective from both sides: the community and people with disabilities."

The head of Hoa Da Club, Luong Thi Ngoc Linh, shared: "This is the first project of Hoa Da Club, so everything is still very new and unfamiliar. However, we are very happy because this project has taken Hoa Da Club's activities to a new level of development. The club can now connect with external organizations and units to implement activities that benefit people with disabilities on a larger scale, with activities that have a greater and more positive impact on their lives. Hoa Da Club hopes to continue receiving funding to implement subsequent projects, supporting people with disabilities in learning English, accessing information technology, healthcare, and job placement... And we hope that the love and sharing will continue to spread..."

Young people with disabilities expressed joy and happiness at being connected and sharing life together in the meaningful activities of the Project.