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VIENTIANE, LAO PDR — On April 20, 2022. U.S. Ambassador to Lao PDR Dr. Peter M. Haymond joined Vice Minister of Health Dr. Sanong Thongsana to officially launch the Continuous Professional Development Training Facility for Health Professionals at the Center for Medical Rehabilitation (CMR). The ceremony also marked the official handover of rehabilitation equipment to the CMR and Ministry of Health (MOH). “Our health and disability assistance is a central part of the U.S.-Lao Comprehensive Partnership. The United States looks forward to continuing our support to the CMR as it works to become a center of excellence, reaching international standards,” said Ambassador Haymond. “We are proud ...

Empowerment is a word used by many people in different contexts but what does it actually mean? How would you describe it? The USAID Okard team met on 17 February 2022 to explore and learn more about the concept of empowerment, its elements and application for supporting people with disabilities as part of a Gender and Inclusive Development training. Empowerment is a process of becoming stronger and more confident especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights, and to sustain this. By improving the status of people they acquire the power to act freely, exercise their rights, and fulfill their potential as full and equal ...

Did you know… March 1st is International Wheelchair Day! Today is a day to celebrate the positive impact a wheelchair can make in someone’s life, as well those that support wheelchair users and strive to make the world a better, more accessible place!  Wheelchairs enable so many people the freedom and opportunity to get involved in and enjoy participating in everyday life- going to school, participating in sports, going to work, visiting friends and being an active member of their community.  USAID Okard CBID teams have been supporting children and adults with disabilities to access wheelchairs to meet their mobility needs. “In the past, I was at home ...

(Please scroll down for English) “ການສົ່ງເສີມຄວາມຮັບຮູ້ ແລະ ຫຼຸດ​ຜ່ອນ​ຄວາມ​ເຊື່ອ ແລະ ເລື່ອງເລົ່າທີ່ບໍ່ແມ່ນຄວາມຈິງ​ໃນວັນ ພະຍາດຊັກ ເອປີເລັບຊີສາກົນ!” ມີຫຼາຍຄວາມ​ເຊື່ອ ແລະ ເລື່ອງ​ເລົ່າ​ທີ່ແຕກ​ຕ່າງ​ກັນກ່ຽວກັບພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີ (ຫຼື ທີ່​ເຄີຍ​ເອີ້ນ​ກັນ​ວ່າ ພະ​ຍາດ​ຊັກ​ບ້າ​ໝູ), ສະນັ້ນ ເນື່ອງ​ໃນ​ວັນວັນພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລີບຊີສາກົນ, ມື້​ນີ້ອົງການເ​ວີລ໌ດເອດຢູເຄຊັນ ປະ​ຈຳ ສ​ປ​ປ ລາວ ແມ່ນ​ຂໍ​ຖື​ໂອ​ກາດນີ້ທີ່ຈະສົ່ງເສີມຄວາມຮັບຮູ້, ຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈທີ່ຖືກ​ຕ້ອງ ແລະ ສົ່ງ​ເສີມ ດ້ານການປິ່ນປົວທາງການແພດ, ການດູແລ ແລະ ການ​ໃຫ້ສະຫນັບສະຫນູນແກ່ຜູ້ທີ່ເປັນ ພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີ. ປະຊາຊົນຫຼາຍກວ່າ 50 ລ້ານຄົນໃນທົ່ວໂລກໄດ້​ຮັບ​ຜົນ​ກະ​ທົບ​ຈາກພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີ ເຖິງວ່າ ພະ​ຍາດ​ດັ່ງ​ກ່າວຈະເປັນໜຶ່ງໃນບັນຫາສຸຂະພາບ ທີ່​ມີ​ມາ​ແຕ່​ດົນ​ນານທີ່ສຸດ​ຢູ່ໃນໂລກກໍຕາມ ແຕ່ຫຼາຍ​ຄົນ ​ກໍ່​ຍັງມີຄວາມຢ້ານກົວ ແລະ ຄວາມເຂົ້າໃຈຜິດຕໍ່​ກັບຜູ້ທີ່ມີອາການຊັກ. ແລ້​ວອາການຊັກແມ່ນຫຍັງ? ອາການຊັກ ແມ່ນ​ການ​ທີ່​ສະ​ໝອງຂອງ​ຄົນ​ເຮົາ ​ມີ​ການ​ລົບ​ກວນຂອງກະ​ແສໄຟຟ້າສະ​ໝອງຢ່າງກະທັນຫັນ ແລະ ຮຸນແຮງ ແລະ ເຮັດໃຫ້ສະໝອງບໍ່​ສາ​ມາດເຮັດວຽກໄດ້ປົກກະຕິໃນ​ໄລ​ຍະຊົ່ວຄາວ. ​ດັ່ງ​ນັ້ນ ບຸກຄົນທີ່ມີອາການດັ່ງກ່າວ ອາດຈະລົ້ມລົງ ແລະ ຮ່າງກາຍຂອງພວກເຂົາມີ​ອາ​ການສັ່ນ ແລະ ຊັກ. ພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີ ສ່ວນຫຼາຍແມ່ນຈະໄດ້​ຮັບ​ການ​ຮັກ​ສາ​ໂດຍ​ຜ່ານ​ການ​ນຳໃຊ້ຢາທີ່ຊ່ວຍຫຼຸດຜ່ອນ ຫຼື ຢຸດການຊັກ. ເຖິງ​ຢ່າງ​ໃດ​ກໍ່ຕາມ, ຄວາມ​ເຊື່ອ ແລະ ເລື່ອງເລົ່າຕ່າງໆ​ທີ່​ມີ​ຢູ່ໃນຊຸມຊົນແມ່ນ​ໄດ້​ເຮັດໃຫ້ຜູ້ທີ່ເປັນພະຍາດ ຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີ ດໍາລົງຊີວິດທີ່​ແຍກ​ອອກ​ຈາກ​ສັງ​ຄົມ, ພວກ​ເຂົາ​ມັກປະ​ສົບກັບການຖືກຕໍາໜິ, ປົມ​ດ້ອຍ ແລະ ຖືກຈໍາແນກຍ້ອນບັນຫາສຸຂະພາບຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າທີ່ຄົນໃນຊົມຊຸມອາດຈະບໍ່ເຂົ້າໃຈ ແລະ ມີ​ຄວາມ​ເຂົ້າ​ໃຈ​ທີ່​ຜິດ. ​ເຊິ່ງຫຼາຍໆຄວາມ​ເຊື່ອ ແລະ ເລື່ອງເລົ່າຕ່າງໆນັ້ນ​ແມ່ນບໍ່​ມີຄວາມຈິງເລີຍ. ພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີບໍ່ແມ່ນ ພະຍາດຕິດຕໍ່. ພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີບໍ່ໄດ້ເກີດຈາກວິນຍານ-ຜີ​ສາງ, ເວນກໍາ ຫຼື ຄຳສາບແຊ່ງ​ໃດໆ. ຄົນທີ່ເປັນພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີບໍ່ໄດ້ເປັນຄົນ​ທີ່​ມີ​ອາ​ການ​ປ່ວຍທາງຈິດ ຫຼື ພາ​ວະ​ບໍ່​ໝັນ​ຄົງ​ທາງດ້ານອາລົມ. ພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີບໍ່ໄດ້ມີຜົນກະທົບກັບຕໍ່ກັບວິທີ​ນຶກຄິດຂອງຄົນຜູ້ນັ້ນ ຍົກເວັ້ນຕອນທີ່ເຂົາເຈົ້າກ​ຳ​ລັງມີ ອາການຊັກ.ຜູ້ທີ່ເປັນພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີແມ່ນສາມາດມີສ່ວນຮ່ວມຢູ່ເຮືອນ ແລະ ພາຍໃນຊຸມຊົນ ຂອງເຂົາເຈົ້າ, ເຂົາເຈົ້າສາມາດຮຽນຮູ້, ເຮັດວຽກ ແລະ ໃຊ້ຊີວິດໄດ້ຢ່າງເຕັມສ່ວນ. ໂຄງການ ໂອກາດ ໄດ້ເຮັດວຽກຮ່ວມກັບສະມາຄົມສໍາລັບຜູ້ທີ່ເປັນພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບຊີ (APE) ເພື່ອ​ສ້າງ​ສື່ ໂປສເຕີທີ່ໃຫ້ຂໍ້ມູນພື້ນຖານກ່ຽວກັບພະຍາດຊັກເອປີເລັບໃຫ້ແກ່ຜູ້ເບິ່ງແຍງ ແລະ ຄົນໃນຊຸມຊົນເພື່ອຊ່ວຍໃຫ້ເຂົາເຈົ້າເຂົ້າໃຈເຖິງອາການໂດຍບໍ່ອິງຕາມຄວາມ​ເຊື່ອ ຫຼື ເລື່ອງເລົ່າທີ່ເຄີຍໄດ້ຍິນມາ ແລະ ໃຫ້ພວກເຂົາຊອກຫາການດູແລ​ເບິ່ງ​ແຍງທີ່ເຫມາະສົມໂດຍສະເພາະ​ໃນ​ເວ​ລາທີ່ມີຄົນອ້ອມຂ້າງກຳ​ລັງ ມີອາການຊັກ. ໂຄງການ ໂອກາດ ໃຫ້ການສະໜັບ ...

“After my participation in the business plan development training with the Okard project to get ready and well equipped for starting my own business, I am so glad to receive the motorbike parts and other materials to develop my shop and provide good services to customers.”  – Mr. Nota’s caregiver from Hib Village, Kham District, Xieng Khouang Province. Nota is a USAID Okard beneficiary who has an intellectual impairment. From August through December 2021, the USAID Okard Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) team provided livestock such as goats, chickens, pigs, and fish, and equipment such as motorbike parts, tractor parts, and grocery items, valued at more ...

“As a representative of National Committee for Disabled People and the Elderly (NCDE), I am glad to participate in this Okard Redesign workshop. The project gives “Okard” opportunities to persons with disabilities. We are the key driver to support and serve persons with disabilities in two targeted districts. Today all sub-recipients presented updates and various information about the Assistive Products to improve people’s functioning and well-being, economic empowerment and other services along with the success, we also have faced some challenges and difficulties that we need to increase our synergies and work together and today we set up the timeline and action plan for extending ...

Celebration of the National and International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021  On December 4, 2021, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Education Laos, Humanity & Inclusion, and Lao Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) organized a virtual event to celebrate the National and International Day of Persons with Disabilities, 2021.  This year’s theme is “Reaching for a better life”, which aims to celebrate human diversity including diversity in the ability to move, communicate, see and hear, as well as diversity in learning and well-being. The celebration of persons with disabilities focused on empathy, dignity, equity and non-discrimination particularly in terms of the ...

       World Education Laos is excited to announce the Lawang (“Beware”): Expanding the Scope of Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) in Laos project. Funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Lawang project will build on achievements of the recent Comprehensive Mine Risk Education project by piloting new modes of EORE that will bring unexploded ordnance safety messages to a wider audience across the country. WEI is currently in the process of obtaining a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education and Sport (MOES) for the Lawang project, which will run from 2021-2024. WEI will work with MOES to design and pilot an EORE ...

“Persons with disabilities have capabilities, skills and talents to support and take care of their families, and at the same time they are inspiring and empowering others to overcome any barriers they may face in life” –  US Ambassador to Lao P.D.R – Peter Haymond. “The United States is proud to help Lao PDR improve the health and well-being of persons with disabilities under the U.S. Lao Comprehensive partnership”. On 28 August 2021, US Ambassador Peter Haymond and his wife Dusadee visited the Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) USAID Okard project in Kham District, Xiengkhouang Province. During the visit, they joined a discussion with a group ...

Disability Inclusive Development (DID) training for community-based Self-Help Groups in Savannakhet and Xieng Khouang Provinces From July 27 to 29, 2021 in Savannakhet Province and August 10 to 12, 2021 in Xieng Khouang Province, USAID Okard, together with the Association for Autism (AfA) and core trainer team from four organizations of people with disabilities (Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA), Association for Deaf (AFD), Lao Disabled Women Development Centre (LDWDC) and Disability Service Centre (DSC)), conducted Disability Inclusive Development (DID) training for leaders of the USAID Okard-established self-help groups (SHG) from 13 villages in Savannakhet and Xieng Khouang to strengthen their understanding of the rights of ...