PTPI Blog


Posts Tagged ‘Global Landmine Initiative’

Meet Neang

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
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“I’m very grateful that people far away give help to us here in Ou Sampoar Muoy.  We have been frightened of the mines for so long, and now we can cultivate our land without being afraid.”

Neang in Cambodia

Look at the smile created by supporting PTPI’s Global Landmine Initiative!  Neang and her family are among 196 families in the region of Cambodia where PTPI supports landmine clearance.  Their lives were directly affected, their quality of life improved.

PTPI supports the work of The HALO Trust, specifically their work in Cambodia – a country with the highest ratio of amputees per capita in the world.  Visit HALO’s website to gain a better understanding of the history of minelaying in Cambodia, and the work that HALO is doing to solve the problem.  To find out how you can join PTPI in expressing our concern and our commitment to bringing about a better life for the people of Cambodia, contact cindyspake@ptpi.org.

Contributions to Landmine Eradication in 2009

Monday, March 29th, 2010
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Thanks to your generosity, the PTPI-sponsored HALO Team in Cambodia cleared 7.2 acres of priority-mined ground in 2009.  What does that mean?  Take a look at the result of clearing that land:

  • 264 anti-personnel mines were found and destroyed
  • 11 items of unexploded ordnance were found and destroyed
  • 196 local Cambodians were directly benefited
  • 9,704 more people were indirectly benefited
Mrs. Houen and Am Sreyleak

Mrs. Houen and Am Sreyleak

Mrs. Houen is a 52-year-old widow with five children.  The youngest, her 13-year-old daughter, Am Sreyleak, still lives at their home in Cambodia.  Due to extreme poverty, they moved to the Malai District to find inexpensive land.  Unfortunately, they did not realize it was mined.  Mrs. Houen’s husband lost a leg in a mine accident.  Unable to afford proper medical care, he  never fully recovered and died a few months later.

Struggling as a laborer across the border in Thailand, Mrs. Houen has trouble providing for her family.  Now that the land behind her home ha been cleared of mines she said, “I will be able to grow enough rice, bananas, papayas and vegetables to support myself and my daughter.”

Support our efforts on both the occasion of United Nations’ Mine Awareness Day (April 4, 2010) and Global Youth Service Day (April 23-24, 2010).

Also, keep PTPI’s Global Landmine Initiative in mind when planning chapter events.  We can pool our efforts to continue supporting our HSTAMIDS (smart-detector) team, which has a proven record of success in Cambodia.

The Secret of Our Success

Thursday, February 25th, 2010
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Really, it’s no secret at all.  YOU are the secret to our success.  To quote the great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “You don’t have to have a college degree to serve…You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”

This man cultivates rice, corn and soybeans on land once unsafe because of landmines.  Clearing landmines and returning them to agricultural fields enables beneficiaries to support themselves and their families.

This man cultivates rice, corn and soybeans on land once unsafe because of landmines. Clearing landmines and returning them to agricultural fields enables beneficiaries to support themselves and their families.

Thanks to generous chapter members and donors of all ages, People to People International was able to provide a grant of $51,000 USD from its International Friendship Fund to The HALO Trust for landmine clearance in Cambodia.  This year marks the third year that PTPI has supported landmine eradification efforts in Cambodia after previously focusing for three years on needs in Sri Lanka.

PTPI chapter members and friends around the world are encouraged to support our efforts on the occasion of United Nations’ Mine Awareness Day ~ April 4, 2010 ~ and Global Youth Service Day ~ April 23-24, 2010.  Please consider PTPI’s Global Landmine Initiative when planning your chapter events or Global Youth Service Day Projects!  By helping to raise awareness and collecting funds for PTPI’s Global Landmine Initiative, we can pool our efforts to continue supporting our HSTAMIDS (smart-detector) team, which has a proven record of success in Cambodia.

Click here to make a donation to the Global Landmine Initiative Fund.

Please direct any questions to Cindy Spake, director of PTPI’s Global Landmine Initiative, at +1.816.531.4701 x110 orexecadmin@ptpi.org.