On 8 September 2026, Dr. Khuat Thi Hai Oanh, Executive Director of the Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI), represented Viet Nam at the 21st ASEAN Government-NGO Forum (GO-NGO ASEAN) on Social Welfare and Development.

Held in a hybrid format in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the forum brought together representatives of ASEAN Member States, civil society organisations, NGOs, development partners, experts and the ASEAN Secretariat.

This year’s forum focused on the theme “Strengthening Social Services for People in Vulnerable Situations Towards a More Inclusive, Empowered, and Caring Society.” Discussions explored challenges in ensuring access to social services, while providing opportunities for participants to exchange experiences and strengthen collaboration between governments and civil society organisations across the region.

During the session “Promoting Community-Based and People-Centred Social Services,” Dr. Oanh shared SCDI’s experience of implementing community-based interventions through our Breaking the Cycle program.

Photo: Dr. Oanh introduced the "Breaking the Cycle” program at the forum

Drawing on SCDI’s years of working alongside vulnerable communities, Breaking the Cycle was developed as a long-term strategy to address the intergenerational cycle of poverty, illness, and adversity. Launched in 2021, the program has been supporting children and their families to gradually address barriers to education, healthcare, social protection, and other essential resources.

Connecting children and families with appropriate resources enables children to stay in school, access essential services, and have greater opportunities to thrive. At the same time, Breaking the Cycle goes beyond supporting children’s education by building an ecosystem that can sustain their long-term development. This includes working closely with parents and caregivers, as well as engaging schools, local communities, and other stakeholders in creating a supportive environment around each child.

From this experience, Dr. Oanh highlighted the importance of identifying and supporting people in vulnerable situations, particularly those without identity documents who face multiple, overlapping barriers to accessing social services and social protection. Overcoming these barriers requires coordinated efforts among government agencies, civil society organisations, communities, and other stakeholders, so that people can access appropriate services in a timely and sustainable manner.

The GO-NGO ASEAN Forum was an opportunity for countries and organisations across the region to learn from one another and explore ways to strengthen social welfare systems. Dr. Oanh’s participation and contributions once again reinforced SCDI’s commitment to community-based, people-centred and whole-of-society approaches, and to ensuring that ASEAN’s social welfare systems respond to the realities of people who are most vulnerable and socially excluded.