People in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Bosnia, Cambodia, Croatia, Angola, Mozambique, and many other countries struggle to reclaim their land. While we realize that all these countries are in need of our help, we decided to sponsor Vietnam given our complex historical links to it. The wars fought on their lands may be over but the live landmines left behind ensure ongoing destruction. Children cannot play in the fields, people cannot cultivate their land for their own livelihood, travels are only safe along narrow pathways. Thousands of miles of riverbanks, and tens of thousands of acres of farmland, pastures, and forest are now unusable.
War refugees are often unable to return to their homes and farm their land.
In the cases where people attempt to rebuild around the mines many lose their lives in the process. Live landmines are indiscriminate weapons and countless victims are injured or killed on impact. It is estimated that between 8 and 10,000 children are killed or injured by landmines each year. We are planning some fundraising events during the upcoming year. Details will follow in later communications.