Home > News > RENEW: 23 Years Healing the War Wounds, Building Future with Community

Dong Ha, Quang Tri (18 August 2024) – The 23-year journey of Project RENEW indicates a committed determination to build a safe and prosperous community. The ceremony held on Thursday provided an opportunity for the provincial government leadership, international partner, and all Project RENEW staff members to reflect on a long and meaningful journey and celebrate our achievements.

Mr. Hoang Nam, Provincial People’s Committee Deputy Chairman, Head of the Project RENEW/NPA Steering Committee, and co-founder of RENEW, extends his congratulations to all the project staff members on the occasion of its 23rd anniversary.

Launched in 2001 with initial funding from U.S. veterans through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, RENEW aims to restore the environment and neutralize the effects of war. Currently, RENEW focuses on three mine action pillars: Mine Risk Education, Victim Assistance/Disability Support, and Clearance (in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid Vietnam). In recent years, RENEW has expanded our mine risk education and victim assistance interventions to Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, and Quang Ngai provinces.

The areas of operations of Project RENEW as of August 2024.

Throughout the past 23 years, Project RENEW has worked tirelessly to address the legacies of war, bringing peaceful lives to thousands of local residents. With its three major pillars of work, RENEW has brought about significant positive changes.

Education: Recognizing the importance of preventing mine accidents, RENEW, together with the Youth Union and schools, has established a community reporting network to raise public awareness of the dangers of unexploded ordnance. Over 200,000 children have received safety behavior guidance, leading to a measurable reduction in bomb and mine accidents, especially in high-risk areas.

Unexploded ordnance is a lurking danger, particularly for children. Due to their curious nature, children are easily attracted to strange objects and can accidentally cause unfortunate accidents. Therefore, UXO risk education for children has been one of the core activities of Project RENEW for over 20 years.

Victim Assistance: In addition to prioritizing community awareness of the dangers of bombs and mines, RENEW also focuses on supporting, caring for, and assisting UXO survivors and Agent Orange victims. RENEW has supported rehabilitation centers for children with disabilities, and provided rehabilitation services to over 3,100 disabled persons, and offered material support and vocational training to help people with disabilities reintegrate into the community.

Mr. Le Quang Thanh, a survivor of bomb and mine accidents, turned adversity into an opportunity by taking part in an incense-making training course provided by Project RENEW. The products made by Mr. Thanh and his spouse in An Don ward, Quang Tri town not only provide a stable income for their family but also an indication of the remarkable determination of people with disabilities.

Clearance: Through the tireless efforts of RENEW/NPA clearance teams, nearly 35 million square meters of land contaminated with unexploded ordnance have been cleared and released to people for normal use and further development. Over 129,000 dangerous explosives have been safely destroyed during technical survey and clearance, as well as in quick response to callouts from local people.

Thanks to the work of RENEW/NPA clearance teams, local people can now farm with peace of mind on land that has been cleared of explosives. Each harvest is the result of the joint efforts of the entire community.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the RENEW/NPA clearance teams, local people can now farm with peace of mind on land that has been cleared of explosives. Each harvest is the result of the joint efforts of the entire community.

During the event, Hoang Nam, Deputy Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Head of Project RENEW/NPA Steering Board, and Co-founder of RENEW, praised the RENEW staff for their efforts in creating a safe and thriving community. Nam emphasized that RENEW’s integrated mine action model is an effective approach to addressing the ongoing challenges resulting from the war.

Hoàng Nam presented a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee to Jan Erik Stoa, NPA Vietnam’s Country Director, in recognition of the crucial role of NPA Vietnam in the collaborative effort to address the legacy of unexploded ordnance in Quang Tri.

NPA Vietnam Country Director Jan Erik Stoa, who will conclude his term in Vietnam in August 2024, affirmed that NPA Vietnam will continue its successful partnership with Project RENEW and the provincial government. The goal is to make Quang Tri safe from the impact of unexploded ordnance.

Nguyễn Hiếu Trung, Coordination Manager, presented flowers to welcome Aubrey Sutherland, the new Country Director of NPA Vietnam, succeeding Jan Erik Stoa.

On the long journey ahead, we need the joint efforts of the entire community. Project RENEW would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Governments of Ireland and the United States, our partner NPA Vietnam, Friends of Project RENEW, and all organizations and individuals who have joined us. We believe that together, we will soon build a safe, happy, and prosperous Vietnam.

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