Volunteers localities nationwide gathered at a seminar in Hanoi on January 27 to share their experience in operating communal-level voluntary social work teams.

As part of the project “Asia Action on Harm Reduction”, the event was jointly organised by the Department of Social Evils Prevention (DSEP) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Centre for Supporting Community Development (SCDI).

There are 2,570 voluntary social work teams with over 17,000 volunteers operating in 36 provinces and cities across the country. They provide consultations and support for vulnerable groups such as drug addicts, people living with HIV/AIDS, prostitutes and victims of human trafficking.

The network serves as a bridge connecting social organisations, authorities and communities.

SCDI and DSEP have co-worked to design a training programme and manuals for volunteers, providing them with basic knowledge and skills in line with the State’s policies on prevention of social problems.

Experts, managers and volunteers focused their discussions on building training materials and proposed policies to assist the development of voluntary social work teams, thus promoting their sustainable and effective operation.

The country is expected to have nearly 19,000 volunteers operating in 45 localities by the end of 2015 and 30,000 serving in 5,000 teams in all the 63 provinces and cities by 2020.-VNA