10 highlights of Caritas Dalat in 2020

The year 2020 was marked by historic events in the world and in Vietnam. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of at least 1,700,000 people world and many other people were affected, lost jobs, and were displaced ly... 249 people passed away in the historic flood in central Vietnam and How many people suffered damage to their homes, properties, crops...

Caritas Before these historical events, Dalat also stopped many activities. But thank God because He still opens up many opportunities for us to continue to go deeper become more professional in sustainable development activities.

1. Laudato Si' learning and action programs:

Year 2020 marks the 5th anniversary of the Pope's announcement of the encyclical Laudato Si'. The staff Caritas Dalat has organized online self-study and sharing sessions about information message Laudato Si', especially during the days of quarantine due to COVID-19 in October April 2020. Caritas also sends staff to attend an online course to become one promoter of the message Laudato Si (Laudato Si Animator) by the Air Network post-Catholic Global organization. Through practical exercises, Caritas office has There are activities during the Season of Creation (from September 1 to October 4) such as: massoutdoors, prayer and seed exchange, tree planting rituals, prayers pilgrimage, talks on the Environment for Caritas Parishes. Also, in During the week of Laudato Si' (from May 16 to 24), we organized the session Praying for the environment with young people, communication sessions about Laudato Si for parishes along with prayers for the Earth.

2. Parish Caritas Network:

With Wishing to develop the network of Caritas parishes and Caritas dioceses of Dalat Focus on building and strengthening the executive board of Caritas districts. Although affected by COVID-19 and many programs canceled, Caritas one Some districts still actively organize some events such as district fundraising activities Don Duong, the day of prayer for the life of Dalat county, promotes parishes established Caritas and developed Duc Trong's membership... Furthermore, a number of parishes in the diocese are also called to bring the encyclical Laudato Si' to life. BecauseSo, the Laudato Si' series of learning exchange forums is also okay construction. One parish in each district was selected to participate in the process exchange learning to create change, including parishes: Thanh Mau Dalat, Donbosco, Diom, Da Tong, Duc Giang, Kala, Da Loan, Madaguoi.

With Kick-off forum was held on October 15-16, 2020, attendees Members are motivated to commit more to personal and family life Laudato Si' also inspires others and associations/collectives In the parish, the neighborhood lives Laudato Si'.

Year In 2020, an additional 272 people from 9 parishes participated in making membership cards Caritas Vietnam, including Nghia Lam, An Hoa and Du Sinh are parishes First make a membership card.

3.  Program to support psychiatric patients at the facility Trong Duc Department:

Although affected by COVID 19 but support activities for mentally ill people at the facility Trong Duc is still organized: a picnic in Vung Tau, meetings month with core groups (1 male group, 1 female group), one media day mental health for the patient's family and some parish Caritas. In addition, The program also organizes events on holidays for brothers in the organization Location: Lunar New Year, Easter, Flower Month, Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas. The staff Service providers can also exchange and learn to expand their professional knowledge. Tripswent to study at  a mental hospital in Gialai and in Can Tho. The staff also Take a course in mental health care and case management Organized by the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. In addition, the patients are still receiving health care Be physically healthy, take psychiatric medication every day, and participate in fun activities entertainment, listening to music, watching movies, sports and doing chain, activities that create discipline like lining up to eat, cleaning the house, brushing teeth...

The The presence of Caritas staff at the facility helps their quality of life Patients are given more dignity and are treated with more dignity.

4. Accompanying persons with disabilities (PWDs) associations in the province Lam Dong:

Caritas Dalat has supported more disabled people's associations in Lam Dong province 7 years. However, companionship is limited to sporadic activities meet the needs of some associations. Inspired by the Tu Dan development project, Caritas Dalat realized to create changes in the way of operating, organizing and operating association, a forum for learning exchange between disabled people's associations in the province could be solution to speed up this process. So, with the kick-off workshop organized held at the end of September 2020, a 2-year learning exchange program was built The topics come from the needs of the associations and participants. Workshop first with the theme of organizational development and leadership skills will was conducted in February 2021 in a learning exchange activity with the PWD Association Can Tho.

Parallel to the launch forum, with the cooperation of associations PWD, Caritas Dalat has completed a survey of 1018 cases of PWD in Lam province Dong. These databases help CDL to understand the situation of PWDs and to have information Overview of the disability support program.

Three communication training session on communication skills, diphtheria prevention, children with cerebral palsy and physical therapy is also performed for the executive board and some association members.

5. Program savings, micro-credit:

The savings and micro-credit program was established by CDL 2008 continued to maintain and develop more groups in the community new copper. The members are ethnic minority women who practice chastity Saving and managing money in small groups. The amount of savings accumulates over time The time will help women in the group reduce loan debt in times of emergency. Outside Additionally, in addition to the program's support capital, women can also borrow money to invest production. Loan capital is rotated annually.

With  near 1000 people participate in the savings program, total savings of people By the end of 2020, it had reached 2.9 billion plus loans supported by Caritas management is 2.5 billion VND.

6. Learning exchange forums between communities:

From the first baby steps into the program Developing Self-Reliant People in 2013, CDL has now had a period of additional training knowledge, skills, and accumulated experience in working with the community to create things change. We realize it's time to let go and let the community take the initiative further in their progress. In particular, CDL, with the role of spreading the fire, will organize the event forums to promote learning exchange between communities. Therefore, In 2020, many forum chains (learning exchange platform-LEP) were formed to speed up this process. An LEP is organized for existing communities product (SLEP), is in the process of building and perfecting processes and teams position; and an LEP for new communities reaching out to Caritas, not yet determined product orientation (CLEP).

Association The kick-off workshop was held in June 2020 in Dalat. Then the guilds CLEP 1 and SLEP 2 workshops were held in Dinh Trang Hoa and Dung K'no, respectively. July and September 2020. Forums available to Caritas staff add motivational skills and organizational skills, as well as delve deeper into the areas of Ecological agriculture, community organization, marketing. The communities are transmitted profound inspiration in their change process.

7. Community training courses:

In 2020, CDL continues to organize a number of training courses In-depth training for the community. These lecturers come from institutions or organizations Individuals are introduced through the network connected to Misereor.

In early June 2020, CDL invited Mr. Phung Huu Chinh, bee experts conduct a 3-day training course on how to hunt, trap bees and How to collect, process and preserve high quality honey. This is a word-following activity His field survey trip to Dung K'no was carried out in 2019.

International training course on community livelihood assessment and product review (CLAPS) scheduled for February 2020 has been cancelled due to COVID-19. However, by October 2020, with the coordination of the Forum organization Vietnam Non-timber Forest Products Exchange (NTFP-EP) and Southern Ecological Institute, CDL have Training courses can be organized to train resource officers on management and development develop non-timber forest product resources.

In addition, in the KaTip community, there are also farmers in the group One day to test soil and participate in a workshop on the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers study.

To Forming a Network Farmer Participation Guarantee System Caritas Dalat (CFGS (Caritas Dalat Farmers Guarantee System) for the coffee group Ohmi Koho, the team invited CDL's CFGS expert to conduct some training sessions training. The process will continue until June 2021 before the group can be acquired CFGS certification in organic coffee farming.

8. Ideas developed in the community:

Ideas from communities are developed gradually over time time to form groups and organizations that can create unique products, or preserving indigenous culture, specifically in the communities in which Caritas is working, There are the following groups:

(1) Iem Goh – Tutra vegetable cooperative group: The Iem Goh group currently has 11 members who still persistently pursue growing organic vegetables. The group is becoming more and more popular, including the local government Favorable conditions and opportunities for the group to access the policies and programs of the Group State support for organic agriculture. 2020 with extreme climate conditions has caused a lot of damage to gardeners, vegetable output has decreased significantly, and the group's funds have also been reduced decrease. Therefore, the group members became somewhat impatient. The group is still Find ways to consolidate production and business organization.

(2) Ohmi Koho – Dinh Trang coffee group Hoa: With 8 members, Ohmi Koho group with organic coffee products The special engine is equipped with a roasting system to produce the final product. The group is also in the process of finding customers and marketing products create more motivation for people during the transition process.

(3) Da Nhar youth group: A group of 5 young people (husband and wife) in Da Nhar village have been experimenting to develop Developing many typical products from the forest such as wild tea and dried bamboo shoots. Parallel to During processing, some of you are also cultivating some native forest tree varieties for planting add it to your garden. The group designed the drying racks and invested in some equipment packaging and packaging label design.

(4) Loc Tan gong group: Design and make your own traditional stilt house using locally collected materials In the forest, people in 2 Loc Tan village also formed a group to conserve and develop gong culture. The group planned to re-teach how to play the gong gongs, traditional dances for those who want to learn. The group also did There are receptions for guests (journalists, cultural researchers...). ancient customs to pass on the soul of culture to them.

(5) Natural dye – K'No dye: While brocade weaving in many places is disappearing and shrinking, in Dang K'no, there are still many women who know and practice brocade weaving in a healthy way profession. Especially in the village, there is also the profession of dyeing cotton fibers with natural colors: color Indigo comes from Tram, orange from cashew nuts, green from bean leaves, color Gold from turmeric... Trendethics Organization - France, has been accompanying to develop and introducing naturally dyed brocade products of local people to France. Ecological cotton growing is also being started in a trial phase experience.

(6) Cereal group Lieng page 2 + Cilmup: The group collected local cereal varieties and planted them accordingly ecology. The group's first product is first used for eating, then for sale community and to familiar customers.

(7) Youth groups:

+ Loc Tan 2 youth group: The group has about 25 young people and a few people aged 45, of which 2/5 are married. The group is responsible for managing a communal garden in the village. With the leader Enthusiastic and capable children, the group explores, learns and practices in a student-oriented way towards common gardens as well as farms of member families. Group received strong support from parents and village elders on various occasions special.

+ Da Nhinh 1 youth group with many ideas Thinking about marketing, the group opened a snack shop and found land to grow products Ecological products are provided to the shop and create a common fund. Many other ideas are on the way form and develop over time.

(8) Other ecological models: In addition, there are Many initiatives that farmers are applying in gardens related to agriculture ecological industries such as grass-fed coffee, redesigning coffee gardens by planting intercropping, composting, EM biological products, livestock groups... These models carried out in households and farmer groups in 11 communes do CDL's PLD project.

9. Project 5 organizations:

With role as joint project owner of 5 organizations (Caritas Dalat, CSDM, CEPHAD, DWC, Caritas Phan Thiet) with the theme of Vietnam's mountainous ethnic minorities integrating self-management to ensure food sovereignty, CDL has tried a lot in this year of COVID. Through a long process of searching for foreign experts in in the field of People's Development, and through the months of complicated developments of the disease The translation company could not invite foreign experts, the project was finally found solution. Ms. Elizabeth Cruzada, a Filipino, has many years of experiencein the field of community development in the Philippines and some Asian countries Choose to be an expert for the project. Because each participating organization has a different understanding about PLD, about ecological agriculture, so we need an online training roadmap for them 5 staff organized to prepare for the 7-day workshop in Dalat. Study sessions Online inquiries have been conducted since the beginning of November 2020. The contents are for job placement purposes Participatory action research (also known as the action-response cycle – action) integrated into the vision and mission of the organization. The staff alsohave the opportunity to look back at our mission in community development. Skills Promotion and dimensions of ecological agriculture are also topics covered Online training sessions with practical exercises within teams position.

Association draft Participatory Action Research in Self-Reliant Development on Ecological Agriculture takes place in Dalat from December 7 to 13 2020 is the peak of the training period. Organizations have built promotion processes push with tools that help people do research so they recognize problems in the community and find solutions. These methods are practiced in real life in three communities: Da Loan, Loc Tan and Dung K'no. These proposed solutions are People propose and commit to implementation. CDL staff will continue with the community Create an action plan for these solutions and monitor their evaluation over time regular meeting. That way, the community will gradually create change for itself their village.

10. Accompany your Caritas

Is a pioneering Catholic chapter organization In the Self-Reliant Development program in Vietnam, CDL has the mission of introducing, sharing and supporting Support other organizations to replicate the PLD spirit. With the companionship of CDL, Caritas Phan Thiet has completed the 2-year project. Caritas Phan Thiet and the community have the opportunity to participate in some training programs organized by CDL, attend sessions PLD summary to get inspired and get ideas in action. CDL okay invite to share experiences in practicing PLD with people in Phan Thiet. Ms. Dinh Thi Hong Phuc was invited to be present and help Misereor's consultant make an assessment working trip of Dr. Ngo Tien Dung with CPT about the rice program in Phan Set.

In addition to the 10 highlights above, there are many other activities Other charity activities/programs Caritas Dalat is still continuing to maintain year. May God continue to bless the Caritas Dalat family I am on a mission to collaborate with You to build a better society and world.

Dalat in the last days of the year of the Rat

Caritas Dalat Office