Dong Ha

Wednesday morning we went to the CPI office here in Dong Ha where Chi gave us our full schedule which includes home visits and a few historical sites along the way. Chi used to be a tour guide in the DMZ, so I'm sure that will be very interesting.

Yesterday Chi took Laurie and me to three separate homes of people that have been helped by Clear Path. The first was Tuan, a vry reserved man who lost an arm and a hand to a UXO (unexploded ordnance). The money he received from CPI helped him start a little storefront business in his home where his neighbors can come to purchase various items. He also bought some chickens for eggs, to breed for sale, and for meat. Being able to take care of one's family is very important to heads of households and helps them maintain their dignity.

As we were driving to the different homes, we learned many interesting things from Chi. A high percentage of the UXO accidents happen while people are scavenging for scrap metal. They can make a significant amount of money, in their terms, by selling metal, and it's fast and easy for them. Metal detectors are readily available and most people are still unaware of the dangers involved. Chi also said that most accident victims don't understand that these explosives came from us, they think it's just their bad luck if they are hurt by them.

We also met Lang, a very gregarious man in his fifties who lost both his hands to a UXO. He has learned to ride a bicycle, he's cleared several acres of land by himself, and he participates regularly in the Vietnamese equivalent of Special Olympics as a swimmer.

And Tai, a young woman whose husband was killed by a UXO when he was searching for scrap metal. Losing her husband meant losing all her income as he was the breadwinner. CPI helped cover the funeral costs and provides scholarship money for her two children to stay in school. She faces many challenges now, as she will also need to relocate and provide for her son and daughter.

While it is so very sad to hear some of these stories, it is also encouraging to see the CPI staff helping peole and providing the support they need to lead as normal a life as possible.