Learning clubs Project’s launching Workshop

In the morning of 19 June 2014, the Launching Workshop of Learning Clubs for Women’s Health and Infant Development in Rural Vietnam Project was organized at the headquarter of Ha Nam Provincial Women’s Union. Attending the event were the leaders and officers from Ha Nam Provincial People’s Committee, Preventive Health Centres, Ms. Ha Thi Minh Tam, Chairperson of Ha Nam Provincial Women’s Union and Chairpeople of Women’s Union in Doi Son, Nhan Thinh, Liem Can Communes, Doctor Tran Tuan, Director of Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD), Ms. Tran Ha, Vice Director of RTCCD, Professor Jane Fisher, Director of Jean Hailes Research Unit, University of Monash, Australia as well as reporters from media agencies.

Learning Clubs Project is sponsored by Grand Challenges Canada and is implemented by RTCCD, Ha Nam Provincial Women’s Union, University of Monash and University of Melbourne, Australia. It will be conducted in the community from April 2014 to September 2015.

At the workshop, after the welcome speech from Ha Nam Provincial Women’s Union and People’s Committee, there were three presentations by Professor Jane Fisher, Doctor Tran Tuan and Ms. Tran Ha. Thanks to Professor Jane Fisher’s presentation, the strong relation of perinatal mental health and early childhood development in low-income settings has been shown clearly through global scientific evidence and a number of impressive intervention programs that help improve mothers’ health and infant development in South Africa, Jamaica, etc. have also been introduced. Next, Doctor Tran Tuan’s presentation took the audiences by surprise because it firmly demonstrated the important link of maternal mental health and child growth and development, using findings from the longitudial study in 104 communes in Ha Nam Province. He also pointed out the lack of support to improve maternal health and infant development in Ha Nam and that led to the need of Learning Clubs for Women’s Health and Infant Development. The third presentation by Ms. Tran Ha, MPH., Coordinator of the project provided an overview on the major project purposes, intervention model, 5 modules, 24 sessions, project operating system, timeline and long-term plan.

The launching workshop ended with the committement statements from Ha Nam Provincial Preventive Health Centre, Communal People’s Committee and Women’s Union for project implementation and support to sustain the Learning Clubs activities. At this event, 3 brand new laptops and 3 modern projectors were also directly provided to the local Women’s Union.

Here are some photos of workshop:

Project’s Lauching Workshop was held in Ha Nam Women Union’s Office

Equipment for Learning clubs funded by Grand Challenges Canada

Representatives from Grand Challenges Canada, RTCCD and Ha Nam Women Union

Presidents of Communal Women Unions from Nhan Thinh, Doi Son and Liem Can Commune were signing Commitment form to participate in the Project.

An Bích Vân