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Survivor Stories
Hoang Van Luong - Vietnam
Hoang Van Luong is 36 years old. When he was finished his service to the army he returned to his village to be with his new wife. They had a two year old, and his wife was pregnant, when he went to the banks of the nearby river to do some fishing. It is common (though illegal) to fish with explosives in Vietnam. But, it is the quickest way, and he was in a hurry. As he set up the explosive, something went wrong, and it exploded in his hands. He lost half his right hand and he had seriously injured his eyes. His first thoughts were that he would be a burden to his young pregnant wife. He felt it would have been better if he had died.
But his wife didn’t give up on him. She cared for him every day and helped him overcome his shock and depression. When the bandages were taken from his eyes, and he saw his family in front of him, he cried. He came back home and made up his mind to recover from his injuries. He dedicated himself to learning how to do everything with his left hand. He was a rice farmer, so he had many tasks to re-learn. He practiced at first with the lighter work, but then learned all the hard things, too. He has surprised and impressed his neighbors with all he can do.
In 2005, he was referred to LSN. The outreach worker there helped him apply for a small business loan. He added this loan to his savings from six years of farming. He used the money to build a stronger house. Once his house was finished, LSN provided Hoang with a cow. Hoang is growing his business. He not only farms rice and sells milk, he also raises fish. “I am guilty for my accident, and I did not know if LSN would help me. With LSN, I feel like a child in a warm, happy family.”
View the next profile: Hoang Xuan Quang
Less than 10 percent of landmine survivors have access to proper medical care and rehabilitation. Please visit our Donate Now section and see what you can do to help landmine survivors around the world.
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