Tra Thanh
http://www.advocacynet.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/10309748726_06b88bcf6f_o.jpg
2013 Profile by Peace Fellow Kelly Howell
Tra’s father Suu was born in 1949 and joined the army in 1972. He was in the army for four years, and traveled all over southern Vietnam, as well as through the Ho Chi Minh trail and along the border with Laos. Suu suffered from mysterious ailments during his tour, such as fevers, headaches, and pain in his body.
Tra’s mother helped with the army as well, joining the Youth Union and working on road repair after bomb destruction. She also worked on a team that searched out mines in the road so that they could carefully set them off before Vietnamese soldiers passed through. Her final job was to work on the Ho Chi Minh trail, where AO use was common. When she returned, she too suffered from health problems such as pain, headaches, and dizzy spells.
Tra, the first-born, came into the world in 1974. He suffers from a birth defect that has left him with a back deformity that leaves his back hunched. He is only 4 feet tall and did not grow normally as a child. He suffers from constant pain and cannot get around easily, although he can still walk. He stopped school at 12 years of age, as it became too much for him with his disabilities. Although happily married, he cannot have any children.
 Officials from the Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (DOLISA) and local social workers work with AEPD staff on a survey and needs assessment for persons with disabilities linked to Agent Orange. An AEPD micro-loan helped Tra begin animal husbandry. AEPD also helped open a local rehabilitation center. |
AEPD has helped Tra to create a sustainable income by granting him a micro-loan to begin animal husbandry. He has pigs, a small pond where he raises fish, and some ducks that he can sell as meat and eggs. Additionally, as Tra lives in a district where AEPD has helped the local health clinic to develop a rehabilitation center, he has access to rehabilitation services.
As part of this initiative, AEPD sends the doctor of the health center to special training regarding the rehabilitation of PWDs. The doctor then trains the nurses and other health care workers at the clinic. The health care workers then help the PWDs to learn a rehabilitative routine, and then they can come to the clinic and use the rehabilitation room, as well as practice at home.
Tra says he uses the rehabilitative services when he feels healthy, but when feeling sick, he cannot travel. His only form of transportation is a bicycle, and when unwell, it is too much for him. As a result, when he most needs medical attention, he often does not receive it. He has hope that the local health centers will acquire transportation so that patients such as himself will have better access to regular health care.
When I asked Tra about other people with disabilities in this area and their access to education, I was told that maybe 50% were in school. Although many of the others can learn and are intellectually unaffected, they face strong discrimination and the teachers are inexperienced with special needs students. More often than not, the parents feel that they must keep their children home in order to protect them. Tra feels that a school built especially for children with disabilities would keep these kids in school.
Tra is also of the opinion that the Peer Support Network that AEPD has helped to create should be enlarged. He says that there are many other families who wish to join, but that due to limited funding, AEPD cannot host larger classes. There are many potential beneficiaries that hope to join the program.
Tra said that joining the Peer Support Network was extremely rewarding to him. Helping others cope with their problems and disabilities has made him feel good about himself. About joining the group, Tra said “I didn’t feel weird anymore. The head of the group often visits us and gives us encouragement, which motivates us. I feel supported and I enjoy supporting others in the group. It is a wonderful experience.”
The group in Hang Thuy district serves 35 families, but there are at least 30 more families who wish to join. The outreach worker believes there are at least 20 other families here who have AO sufferers.
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2013 Profile by Peace Fellow Kelly Howell<\/span><\/h4>\n
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Tra\u2019s father Suu was born in 1949 and joined the army in 1972. He was in the army for four years, and traveled all over southern Vietnam, as well as through the Ho Chi Minh trail and along the border with Laos. Suu suffered from mysterious ailments during his tour, such as fevers, headaches, and pain in his body.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra\u2019s mother helped with the army as well, joining the Youth Union and working on road repair after bomb destruction. She also worked on a team that searched out mines in the road so that they could carefully set them off before Vietnamese soldiers passed through. Her final job was to work on the Ho Chi Minh trail, where AO use was common. When she returned, she too suffered from health problems such as pain, headaches, and dizzy spells. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra, the first-born, came into the world in 1974. He suffers from a birth defect that has left him with a back deformity that leaves his back hunched. He is only 4 feet tall and did not grow normally as a child. He suffers from constant pain and cannot get around easily, although he can still walk. He stopped school at 12 years of age, as it became too much for him with his disabilities. Although happily married, he cannot have any children. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.advocacynet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/14949883120_042fc42cca_o-1.jpg\")
\nOfficials from the Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (DOLISA) and local social workers work with AEPD staff on a survey and needs assessment for persons with disabilities linked to Agent Orange. An AEPD micro-loan helped Tra begin animal husbandry. AEPD also helped open a local rehabilitation center.<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/td>\n\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
AEPD has helped Tra to create a sustainable income by granting him a micro-loan to begin animal husbandry. He has pigs, a small pond where he raises fish, and some ducks that he can sell as meat and eggs. Additionally, as Tra lives in a district where AEPD has helped the local health clinic to develop a rehabilitation center, he has access to rehabilitation services. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
As part of this initiative, AEPD sends the doctor of the health center to special training regarding the rehabilitation of PWDs. The doctor then trains the nurses and other health care workers at the clinic. The health care workers then help the PWDs to learn a rehabilitative routine, and then they can come to the clinic and use the rehabilitation room, as well as practice at home. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra says he uses the rehabilitative services when he feels healthy, but when feeling sick, he cannot travel. His only form of transportation is a bicycle, and when unwell, it is too much for him. As a result, when he most needs medical attention, he often does not receive it. He has hope that the local health centers will acquire transportation so that patients such as himself will have better access to regular health care. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
When I asked Tra about other people with disabilities in this area and their access to education, I was told that maybe 50% were in school. Although many of the others can learn and are intellectually unaffected, they face strong discrimination and the teachers are inexperienced with special needs students. More often than not, the parents feel that they must keep their children home in order to protect them. Tra feels that a school built especially for children with disabilities would keep these kids in school.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra is also of the opinion that the Peer Support Network that AEPD has helped to create should be enlarged. He says that there are many other families who wish to join, but that due to limited funding, AEPD cannot host larger classes. There are many potential beneficiaries that hope to join the program. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra said that joining the Peer Support Network was extremely rewarding to him. Helping others cope with their problems and disabilities has made him feel good about himself. About joining the group, Tra said \u201cI didn\u2019t feel weird anymore. The head of the group often visits us and gives us encouragement, which motivates us. I feel supported and I enjoy supporting others in the group. It is a wonderful experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n
The group in Hang Thuy district serves 35 families, but there are at least 30 more families who wish to join. The outreach worker believes there are at least 20 other families here who have AO sufferers.<\/span><\/b><\/p>“,”class”:””}]}]}[/content-builder]
\nOfficials from the Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (DOLISA) and local social workers work with AEPD staff on a survey and needs assessment for persons with disabilities linked to Agent Orange. An AEPD micro-loan helped Tra begin animal husbandry. AEPD also helped open a local rehabilitation center.<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/td>\n\t<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n
AEPD has helped Tra to create a sustainable income by granting him a micro-loan to begin animal husbandry. He has pigs, a small pond where he raises fish, and some ducks that he can sell as meat and eggs. Additionally, as Tra lives in a district where AEPD has helped the local health clinic to develop a rehabilitation center, he has access to rehabilitation services. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
As part of this initiative, AEPD sends the doctor of the health center to special training regarding the rehabilitation of PWDs. The doctor then trains the nurses and other health care workers at the clinic. The health care workers then help the PWDs to learn a rehabilitative routine, and then they can come to the clinic and use the rehabilitation room, as well as practice at home. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra says he uses the rehabilitative services when he feels healthy, but when feeling sick, he cannot travel. His only form of transportation is a bicycle, and when unwell, it is too much for him. As a result, when he most needs medical attention, he often does not receive it. He has hope that the local health centers will acquire transportation so that patients such as himself will have better access to regular health care. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
When I asked Tra about other people with disabilities in this area and their access to education, I was told that maybe 50% were in school. Although many of the others can learn and are intellectually unaffected, they face strong discrimination and the teachers are inexperienced with special needs students. More often than not, the parents feel that they must keep their children home in order to protect them. Tra feels that a school built especially for children with disabilities would keep these kids in school.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra is also of the opinion that the Peer Support Network that AEPD has helped to create should be enlarged. He says that there are many other families who wish to join, but that due to limited funding, AEPD cannot host larger classes. There are many potential beneficiaries that hope to join the program. <\/span><\/p>\n\n
Tra said that joining the Peer Support Network was extremely rewarding to him. Helping others cope with their problems and disabilities has made him feel good about himself. About joining the group, Tra said \u201cI didn\u2019t feel weird anymore. The head of the group often visits us and gives us encouragement, which motivates us. I feel supported and I enjoy supporting others in the group. It is a wonderful experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n
The group in Hang Thuy district serves 35 families, but there are at least 30 more families who wish to join. The outreach worker believes there are at least 20 other families here who have AO sufferers.<\/span><\/b><\/p>“,”class”:””}]}]}[/content-builder]