Creating achievement from disability
With the help of Community-Based Child-Protection Services in Xiengkhouang Province
“I am grateful for all the assistance that the project provided to me. Without the support and advice, I don’t know what would happen to me, and I may not be able to find a job” Souk expressed his appreciation when the project team visited him at his workspace in Pek district, Xiengkhouang province.
Souk, the 20-year-old boy from Hoy village of Khoun district in Xiengkhouang. When he was 17 years old, he was involved in a road accident and it was at this time that the Community-Based Child-Protection Services for children with disabilities (CWD) began to operate in Khoun district. As a result of the accident, Souk's left arm was amputated. Due to the accident, he was depressed and did not know how to continue his life.
The project team, which includes members from the Labor and Social Welfare, Health, and Education sectors, visited and provided counseling and advice to Souk and his family and provided them with counselling and guidance regarding continuing Souk’s education. Therefore, Souk returned to school and completed the examination for his secondary school. Afterwards, the project coordinators from the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and Provincial Labour and Social Welfare coordinated with the Vocational Training Center in Vientiane Capital and referred that he attends the Sikuead Professional School for Persons with Disabilities, Vientiane Capital City, for vocational training in information technology (IT).
“We provided information on the available training courses including benefits and limitations of each course, and we assisted him in choosing the course that he liked and we believed would be most suitable for his capacity and talent,” said Ms. Chanh Sorphabmixay, Project Coordinator from the Provincial Labour and Social Welfare Department.
Souk’s family only paid for the transportation costs and enrolment fees for the training, and accommodation were exempt from charges.
Souk successfully completed the IT training in 2021, after that, he applied for a job, fortunately, one of the printing shops accepted him to work for them. Souk learned how to design and print banners, signs, etc. at the printing shop.
Souk’s mother, Mrs. Chay, a 41-year-old woman said with a smile “I am pleased that the project on Community-Based Child-Protection Services for children with disabilities is operating in our community. At first, I did not know where to start and who to consult about my son, but when I learned about this project, I went to see those people who came from Vientiane and Xiengkhaoung provinces for advice and support, and I received what I had hoped for. I would like to thank the project for its support and assistance to my family”.
Souk shared some of his experiences when he returned to school after the accident and was released from the hospital.
“Many people looked at me as a stranger, I did not want to play or socialize with anyone, I felt that I was disabled, I was unable to perform things I used to do, and considered dropping out of school. However, my family and my friends were very supportive of me, and they gave me love, warmth, and encouragement. This made me strong and helped me overcome a difficult period of my life,” he said.
Additionally, Souk emphasized that people with disabilities deserve support from family and friends. He added a message for persons with disabilities
“I urge you not to focus on your disability, weakness, or stigma, but rather to focus on what you are capable of.”
In 2019, with support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), UNICEF supported the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to pilot a project Community-Based Child-Protection Services for children with disabilities in two provinces –5 villages in Savannakhet and 13 villages in Xiengkhouang province. The project recruited and built the capacity of local people from the target villages to act as village coordinators to collect data on children, visit families, and refer children with disabilities to additional services. In 2022, the project expanded to 10 villages, (5 in Khoun, 5 in Pek district), and reached a total of 176 CWD (F88, M 88).
*names in the story have been changed to protect the family and children’s privacy and safety
