Hue city: Sharing Appropriate Nutritional Guidelines for Trainees with Disabilities and Agent Orange Victims

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Center's Board of Directors and relevant departments; Hue City OPDs; the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control and Nutrition under the Hue City Center for Disease Control; and ACDC in Hue City.

The nutrition expert shares knowledge on balanced nutrition, food selection, and developing appropriate meal plans for trainees with disabilities and Agent Orange victims

At the meeting, Dr. Le Thi Song Huong, Specialist Level I - Head of the Department of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control and Nutrition, delivered a session on balanced nutrition and shared information with participants on the role of nutrition in maintaining health, essential food groups, and how to develop meal plans by selecting and combining different food groups. The session contributed to developing diverse, balanced meal plans that are appropriate for the trainees' health conditions and living circumstances at the Center. Participants were also provided with guidance on selecting, preparing, and consuming food safely, as well as measures to ensure food hygiene and safety.

In particular, based on the information shared and discussed during the meeting, participants worked together to develop appropriate nutritional meal plans, providing a basis for the Center to consider and potentially apply to trainees with disabilities and Agent Orange victims who are studying and living at the Center. During the discussion, representatives of the Center also shared practical experiences and information, as well as challenges related to the trainees' nutritional needs and daily meals in recent years. They also provided additional recommendations on food selection and the development of meal plans that are better suited to the Center's practical conditions in the coming period.

Participants discuss and develop appropriate nutritional meal plans based on the Center’s practical conditions and the needs of trainees

Mr. Tran Van Thanh, Director of the Hue City Vocational Training and Job Placement Center for Persons with Disabilities, shared: “When designing and selecting a new meal plan, the Center's Board of Directors recognizes that it can be challenging to ensure that nutritional requirements are met while also making the meals suitable for the trainees, particularly given their health conditions and eating habits. However, after listening to the information and guidance on balanced nutrition shared at the meeting, and following the principle of “Eat well-cooked food and drink boiled water”, the Center will take these recommendations into consideration and gradually apply them so that meals can be better suited to the trainees' needs and provide improved nutritional value during their vocational training. I would sincerely like to thank the project, the donor GCCH, ACDC, and the health sector for coordinating this meaningful nutrition-sharing session.”

Through the discussions and information shared, the participating organizations also hope that the materials and guidance provided will serve as practical resources for the Center to reference and apply when designing and implementing appropriate nutritional meal plans. These plans will be developed based on the Center's existing meal allowance and supplemented by additional financial support from the project, contributing to improved nutritional quality through the daily meals provided to trainees with disabilities and Agent Orange victims during their vocational training at the Center.

Participants pose for a group photo at the Hue City Vocational Training and Job Placement Center for Persons with Disabilities

The meeting on appropriate nutritional guidelines was part of the activity series “Supporting Improved Nutritional Meals and Travel Costs for Trainees”, which will be implemented over a 12-month period from September 2026 to August 2027 at the Center. A total of 95 trainees with disabilities and Agent Orange victims currently studying and living at the Center are the direct beneficiaries of the activity. The activity is part of the project “Promoting Social Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities and Agent Orange Victims in Hue City”, funded by the Green Cross Switzerland (GCCH) Vietnam Office. ACDC is the project owner, while the Hue City Vocational Training and Job Placement Center for Persons with Disabilities and the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin are the collaborating organizations implementing the project in Hue City.

Translator: Nguyen Dac Thanh