Nguyen Thi Phi (32) lives in Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue Province. Phi is a person with intellectual disabilities, who has never been to school and rarely had a feeling of love and attachment from her own loved ones. Phi lives with her older sister, Mrs. My, because her parents have passed away. As Mrs. My was always busy earning a living and taking care of her own family, she could barely spend time on Phi. Lonely and lacking care, Phi sometimes unconsciously wandered on the roads and got lost among communes in Phu Vang district.
Psychologists and social workers of Inclusion 1 project have connected people with disabilities to their carers and families by reducing discrimination towards people with disabilities.
During the intervention, Mrs. My actively collaborated with the the psychologist’s guidance and attended the training course on communication skills and skill sets to support and care for people with disabilities. Gradually, Ms. My better understood the psychology of people with disabilities and started changing her perceptions towards them.
(Nguyen Thi Phi – right and her sister – left)
“I am really grateful to the teachers and the Inclusion 1 project very much. I once thought that caring for people with disabilities simply meant feeding them, that they don’t know or feel anything. After being trained, I realized that our family should have given her more attention and love, and should have taught her carefully about how to perform basic daily activities.”
Mrs. My then shared what she has learned to share with her children, husband, brother, and relatives so that they could better understand Phi. Their care and love have reached Phi. Every day, Phi supports her sister with housework, such as sweeping the house, washing dishes, and putting clothes in the closet.
The progress of beneficiaries, their families’ cooperation, and the community’s support are motivations for Inclusion 1 to continue on its journey of connecting, supporting, and promoting social inclusion of the disadvantaged community in Thua Thien Hue Province.
For more information about the project, please access our website at this link: RCI.NLR or follow our facebook page at: Research Center for Inclusion