Project RENEW was co-founded in August 2001 by Hoàng Nam, then a foreign affairs official of Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee, and Chuck Searcy, an American Vietnam War veteran serving as Country Representative of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). Together, they built a humanitarian initiative from the ground up — one that has grown over more than two decades into one of Vietnam’s most respected mine action programs. Hoàng Nam today serves as Vice Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee and Head of the RENEW/NPA Steering Committee, a testament to the enduring institutional commitment behind this work.
Project RENEW’s core team is made up of educated and highly committed Vietnamese staff who live in Quang Tri Province, whose families have experienced the suffering of war, and who live with the threat of unexploded bombs and mines every day. They understand Vietnamese culture and traditions, local laws and regulations, how to take the initiative and get things done. Their teamwork and their understanding help account for Project RENEW’s success.
