TFA recently supported the Rehabilitation Department from Da Nang University of Medicine, Technology and Pharmacy to complete an application for funding under the Australian Consulate-General’s Direct Aid Program (DAP). The grant application was successful and the Australian Consulate-General (HCMC) has awarded over 80,000,000VND (almost $5,000AUD) for the purchase of speech therapy resources to be used in the clinical education of speech and language therapy bachelor students in Da Nang. Funding will be used for two major projects:

1. To purchase 100 copies of the Vietnamese Language Screener (VLS) for 3-8 year old children. This screener is the very first Vietnamese norm-referenced paediatric language assessment tool to be created. Ms Averil Ivey (previous Speech Pathology Australian Volunteer in Hanoi) and Dr Sarah Verdon (TFA Director and Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University) are responsible for creating the tool and developing the norms. Once the VLS is printed, copies will be shared with the Rehabilitation Department at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HCMC) for soon to commence speech therapy Masters students to use in their clinical education subjects. Da Nang speech and language therapy Bachelor students will also benefit from access to the VLS. TFA speech therapy graduates from UPNT-HCMC who would like a copy of the VLS to use in their practice will also be provided with a copy. Further information regarding this process will be provided to graduates in the coming months.
2. Therapy resource kits for Bachelor students will also be purchased with grant funding. Five adult and five paediatric kits will be created for students to take to with them to their external clinical placements. Speech therapy is very new to Da Nang, and many of the speech and language therapy clinics in the city hospitals are under-resourced. Students will require a range of resources to engage in quality clinical placement experiences and additional resources can now be purchased to support this need, thanks to the Australian Consulate-General (HCMC).

TFA would like to publicly thank the Australian Consulate-General (HCMC) and the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for making grants such as DAP available to support necessary and significant projects that make real differences for communities and people in Vietnam.