Trinh Foundation Australia (TFA) is an independent, non-profit organisation with no political or religious affiliation. TFA is managed by a dedicated volunteer board, supported by Australian and international academic and clinical experts, and assisted by part‑time contractors.<br /><br />The foundation, which was established in 2008 by a group of speech pathologists and orthodontists, is committed to improving the quality of life for Vietnamese people with communication and swallowing disorders. Since then, we have worked closely with our Vietnamese partners to support the development of the emerging Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) profession in Vietnam through education, training, and clinical service development.
Before 2008, there were no Vietnamese‑trained health professionals who could assist people with communication or swallowing difficulties caused by health conditions or disabilities. With the support of our valued partners and volunteers, TFA has now completed 18 years of continuous work in Vietnam, including ongoing engagement with 127 TFA‑trained Vietnamese SLTs. These include graduates of SALT certificate‑level courses that the University of Medicine Pham Ngoc Thach (UPNT) now independently delivers, as well as graduates of the bachelor's and master's degree programs developed since 2017 in collaboration with MCNV (Medical Committee Netherlands–Vietnam), Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy (DUMPT), Hai Duong Medical Technical University (HTMU), and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP). This increase in qualified SLTs marks an important milestone in the advancement of the SALT profession in Vietnam, one that we continue to advocate for and support.
TFA's mission is to collaborate with Vietnamese universities and speech and language therapists to strengthen and sustain the SALT profession across Vietnam. We are now entering the next phase of our work — facilitating international partnerships between Vietnamese SALT experts and Australian volunteers to update the SALT curriculum together. Our focus is on sustainability: supporting Vietnamese lecturers, learners, and clinicians to lead SALT education into the future.