Coordinator of Mines-Related Activities: Tran My Hanh
Office address: La Thanh Hotel, 218 Doi Can, Hanoi
Tel: 04-832-8076
Fax: 04-832-8134
Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK) is an independent development and relief agency based in Hong Kong. OHK works to assist disadvantaged people regardless of race, sex, religion or politics in their struggle against poverty, misfortune and suffering.
OHK has been supporting projects and programs in Vietnam since 1988. At present, OHK has integrated community development programs in Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Tri, and has some research and emergency response/disaster management activities in a few other select provinces.
OHK has been working on landmine/UXO issues since 1993, marked by consultant Jim Monan’s visit to Quang Tri just after the flooding season when a lot of landmines and other UXO were washed to the surface resulting in the accidental deaths and maiming of many children and adults. This trip was followed by the publication of Jim Monan’s monograph, “Landmines and Underdevelopment: A case study of Quang Tri province”, published in 1994, which was translated into Chinese, German, French and Vietnamese.
In April 2000, OHK organized a “Landmine Study Trip” for key government officials (from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, and People’s Aid Coordinating Committee) responsible for mine/UXO related issues, to visit mine action centers in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
OHK has collaborated with a number of NGOs in an attempt to jointly address and engage the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in a dialogue about the landmines issue. OHK has translated and jointly distributed (with VVMF) the Landmine Monitor Report 2000 and 2001 (specifically the Vietnam chapter and the Executive Summary) to key government agencies, mass organizations, embassies, and international organizations to provide them with updated information about the current landmine/UXO situation in Vietnam as well as information on INGO activities in mine clearance, awareness education and survivors assistance.
Survivor Assistanve/Community Development
In August 2001, OHK provided nearly $19,000 for the construction of a water supply system as part of the Peace Village Project implemented by Peace Trees Vietnam in Dong Ha, Quang Tri. The Village is being built on a de-mined area and will provide homes for 100 economically-disadvantaged families that have an immediate family member(s) who is/are accident victim(s) as a result of left-over landmines/UXO. The completed “Peace Village” will include basic infrastructure capacity, such as new roads, utilities, a kindergarten, 100 family houses etc. OHK’s contribution to this project, however, is limited to the funding for the construction of the water supply system.
OHK has also funded numerous integrated clearance and development activities as part of their community development portfolio in Quang Tri. Usually these activities were conducted in coordination with infrastructure development projects such as dam or school construction. This year a project is under appraisal for demining five hectares of land in Hai Thai commune, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province, which is necessary for the construction of a dam.
OXFAM Hong Kong is also considering adding a victim assistance component to their portfolio of activities in Quang Tri province in cooperation with other organizations in this area. They intend on carrying out a needs assessment of this issue in Quang Tri in September/October 2002.
Landmine Awareness Education
At present, OHK is working in conjunction with Peace Trees Vietnam in organizing a mine awareness program in Dakrong district, Quang Tri province. The project focuses on increasing the local population’s levels of awareness about the inherent dangers of landmines/UXO. Specifically, women and children will be targeted through a variety of pro-active educational activities. The program started in April 2002 and is scheduled to last for six months. The mine awareness program consists of the following central activities:
- Training courses for women: Participants will include Women’s Union members and influential women living in local hamlets – in total 150 women are scheduled to participate. These women will then return to their hamlets to teach other influential community members, including local educators, during Women’s Union/hamlet meetings.
- Printing cautionary mine awareness leaflets and distributing them to local households
- Organising a poster contest on “mines awareness” for all pupils in the district to participate in.
- OHK is also currently assisting Project Renew with their development of a Mine Action website for Quang Tri. The design stage of this website will be completed in the near future.
For further information, please contact OHK.
