Helping Cambodia’s Disabled

Jan. 30, 2003 — Bordered by Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, Cambodia is a lush country dominated by dense forests, low lying plains and the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Amid its scenic landscape, however, the effects of more than 30 years of civil disturbance, war and violence continue to plague the population.

Click here to read the story of Nut Mao, a 30-year-old Cambodian woman born with no arms.

One of the most tragic legacies of Cambodia's recent history has been the massive and indiscriminate use of landmines as a weapon of war. Cambodia currently has one of the highest proportions of people disabled by landmines in the world, at an estimated one in every 384.

Residents injured and maimed by landmines are not the only victims of war in Cambodia, though. Because of the disruption and destruction of basic services, thousands more suffer disabilities. These disabilities can be caused by diseases such as poliomyelitis and measles resulting from ineffective vaccination programs, inadequate or inappropriate medical treatment of illnesses and accidents, and from conditions preventable by basic pre-natal and post natal care.

To combat the continued suffering, in November 1991 the American Red Cross launched the Cambodia Disability and Rehabilitation Project. Headquartered in Phnom Penh, the three-part initiative aims to provide ongoing aid to the disabled and most vulnerable through rehabilitation services.

At the Kompong Speu Rehabilitation Center, Red Cross workers and Cambodian staff members produce and fit prosthetic and orthotic (a support or brace for weak joints or muscles) devices, and provide physical therapy, community outreach, rehabilitation services and medical referrals as needed. Meanwhile, the American Red Cross works with the National Center of Disabled Persons on a "Community-Based Rehabilitation" project to build grassroots rehabilitation assistance to people with disabilities and their families.

In the third part of the program, also in collaboration with the National Center of Disabled Persons, the Red Cross works on an "Information and Referral Services" project that provides job training, counseling, and therapeutic, educational and vocational referral services for disabled adults.

More than 10 years after its inception, the Cambodia Disability and Rehabilitation Project continues to thrive, helping victims of war and inadequate healthcare everyday.

Although many of the residents they help touch the hearts of the Red Cross workers in Cambodia, one in particular stands out among the group. Click here to read the story of Nut Mao, a 30-year-old woman born with no arms.

You can support the American Red Cross Cambodia Disability and Rehabilitation Project by contributing to the International Response Fund. Donations to the International Response Fund can be mailed to your local Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Secure online credit card donations can be made by visiting www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html.

Related Links:

• Cambodia Disability and Rehabilitation Project
• American Red Cross Regional Initiatives/Projects

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