Dong Ha, Quang Tri (15 August 2013)

Tuesday 13 August 2013 was a memorable Mine Risk Education field trip away from home for 50 students of Le Hong Phong Secondary School from Cam Tuyen Commune, Cam Lo District.

[clear]

This trip was made possible thanks to generous contributions from two American donors, Mr. Manus Campbell who now lives in Hoi An, Vietnam, and Mr. Billy Hall from Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. Both served in Quang Tri Province during the Vietnam War, now Mr. Campbell and Mr. Hall are among strong supporters of RENEW’s mine action work.

With two hours at the Mine Action Visitor Center, the students had a better understanding of the history of the province where they were born, how it was devastated during wartime, and why mine action remains so important as the province continues to recover.

More importantly, they learned how to identify and respond to UXO dangers through safe behavior guidance provided by RENEW staff. This newly gained knowledge would help them to be safe from UXO accidents and know how to report UXO discoveries to RENEW’s EOD teams for timely removal.

According to a RENEW’s UXO victim survey in 2010, about 31% of the total UXO casualties in Quang Tri Province have been children. Farming, tending cattle, collecting scrap metal and tampering with Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) are the primary causes of UXO accidents.