Where there's a will, there's a way

Within only 10 days (from October 6th to October 17th, 2020), storms and floods continually struck provinces in Central Vietnam, including Quang Nam Province. The damage to people’s lives and property was indescribable. The statistics provided by Quang Nam Provincial Steering Committee for Prevention of Natural Disasters, Search and Rescue were shocking: 11 people passed away; 41 were injured; more than 500 houses were completely destroyed; 60 schools were severely affected; 127 classrooms were submerged by floodwater; 634 hectares of rice and 2,700 hectares of crops were damaged; 1,266 trees fell; 306 tons of food were ruined; 700 cattle and 150,000 poultry died. The total damage cost was 1,480 billion dong. People’s lives faced numerous difficulties. Particularly, persons with disabilities were among the most affected groups and had limited access to rescue efforts during the disaster.

In the context of the sudden disaster, in parallel with other relief programs across the country and with support from USAID, ACDC cooperated with local partners in urgently carrying out the relief program to assist households of persons with disabilities affected by the storm surges. Due to limited resources, the most severely damaged districts were given top priority. Dai Loc District, Thang Binh District, Duy Xuyen District, Nong Son District and Nam Tra My District were selected. The  bjective was to ensure the relief package could reach people who needed them the most for the shortest duration and with the greatest efforts.

While the plan was developed, bad weather appeared to be a major setback. The rain was heavy, storms were still lurking, roads were eroded, many places were still badly flooded, some villages were even isolated for a long time and must be relocated for residents’ safety. The urgent relief plan had to be rescheduled for 10 days later to ensure everyone would be safe. Our desire to provide the fastest support for persons with disabilities who were in distress and hindered by the weather kept us on tenterhooks.

In addition to the obstacles caused by the natural disaster, we encountered many other problems such as: choosing suitable locations for certain beneficiaries, arranging proper schedules in conditions of heavy workload and limited human resource, supervising the selection of beneficiaries in accordance with the given criteria, choosing appropriate suppliers when goods became scarce, etc. However, with the spirit – “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”, we understood that whether this activity would be a success and provide timely and practical support for persons with disabilities or not depended on two factors: our detailed and careful planning, and mobilization of local partners’ enthusiastic and active participation.

A plan, including backups, was quickly outlined. We promptly contacted suppliers of essentials, water filters, desks and chairs, textbooks, etc. to plan the transportation to each area. Meetings among parties took place quickly with strong consensus; field surveys were also conducted according to the plan. The advance visit to each household of persons with disabilities also left us with many memories. The weather conditions were unfavorable while there were a large number of people that had to be reviewed. Above all, with their damaged villages and houses after the storm surges, many families were in need of support, but our relief package was limited, which made us very upset.

As soon as preparations were done, our relief team went to each location to assist the residents. We started working from 4a.m to 5a.m. The convoy of vans travelled to the meeting point, then were divided into small groups to support households in the most difficult circumstances. The distribution went on till the end of each working day. In the evening, we double-checked and re-arranged the relief on vans so that we could depart to another location in time the next morning. The amount of relief was huge while the roads were difficult, but with careful preparations, everything went smoothly.

Luu Thi Bich Ngoc - Head of Project Management Unit, Deputy Director of Quang Nam Provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said: “When I first heard about the plan, I was very worried because it was urgent and the workload was excessive. However, the project has mobilized a strong and professional team of supporters, then achieved greater success than I expected”. Hua Quoc Dung - Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial OPD stated: “The gift sets are so meaningful. It is very practical because the winter is coming and everyone can use them immediately.”

The residents’ excitement and expectations also gave us motivation during the relief program.

“For us, this gift set is very valuable, especially this water filter.”

“I find the gift sets very practical, containing not only food, but also beddings and kitchen utensils. These are extremely helpful for persons with disabilities.”

Such sharing urged us to do better and provide more effective assistance during the program.

The relief program was a success thanks to the efforts of many individuals and parties. We believe that although the relief package was not big, it offered prompt support both physically and mentally, helping persons with disabilities overcome their difficulties and settle after the disaster./