Story of Landmine Victim at CHA:
Mrs. So Yeu, 36 years old; lives at Pro Boeung Village, Sdeung Chey Commune, Cheung Prey District, Kompong Cham Province, northern part of Phnom Penh. He father died when she was 10 years old and her mother died when she was 25 years old. Since that time, she lived and worked with her aunt.
In 1990, she and her three friends went looking for firewood together in the forest behind her village. They walked past some bamboo trees at the edge of the forest, and she saw bamboo shoots while walking past them. She stopped to cut them off to be used as vegetables. This is when she stepped on a mine hidden in the ground (anti-personal mine). After she stepped on the mine, she lost consciousness. Her friends ran back to the village and called the villagers to help them carry her out of the forest. Her accident occurred at noon but she did not arrive at the hospital until 5 pm where she stayed overnight. Because of her injury was so serious, she was taken to the provincial hospital, located about 50 kms from district hospital. When she regained consciousness, she saw her left leg amputated under the knee. She was very shocked and sad about losing her leg. She cried for a long time and she wished she was dead because she felt her life was meaningless. She spent a long time very depressed - not eating or sleeping and crying all the time. Sometimes, she still imagined that she had both legs. She worried about the future - how could she continue to live with her aunt if she could not work with her because of her disability? She cried every minute of the day and had nightmares that she had no one to feed or take care of her. How could she pursue her life? She dreamt that her parents loved her and took care of her very softly and smoothly. They did not want any ants or insects to bite her, now that the mine took her leg off. She thought nothing beside death. She felt sad and sorrowful for a long time, and she still had a very bad memory in her mind and heart. She continued to get treatment at hospital in the care of her aunt for two months. After treatment, she went back home , and lived in the same village but with a different aunt, her older one. She had nothing to do at home except to raise chickens and cook. In 1996, she got an artificial leg from NGO in Cambodia without payment, and learned how to walk at the center with an artificial leg for one week. Her hope was still in darkness because she had no skills, no friend, no education, and no money. How was she going to do anything to improve her poor standard of living? How could she integrate into society? How could she learn skill because her disability? She desperately wanted to find something to look forward to in her future.
In 1997, her life was changed for the better because she was selected to attend skill-training program by PRESS Organization in the village, then she was taken to training school in Phnom Penh. At first, she was not used to living in the city, and she was clumsy to do everything at school. She was very shy to talk with someone else, and she did not know how to communicate with somebody else. It was very difficult for her to learn skill and to be flexible in usual habit at school. But during one-year cycle at school, she tried to learn a lot and to get knowledge in tailoring subject until she got it successfully. After she graduated at school, she went back home living with her aunt. Then, she got married to another landmine victim, Chan Mony, a former soldier at Itarous Montain in Kandal Province. He had also stepped on mine, and lost his left leg above knee. She then gave birth to a daughter, Chan Sok Chitra. Unfortunately, her daughter died for hemorrhage fever at 8 months old. Her heart again filled with sorrow and disappointment. She again had thoughts of suicide by taking a lot of medicine. Fortunately, CHA staff went to meet her and consoled her. family. At CHA. She decided to accept in hopes of getting a daily income for her family. At CHA, she is happy to learn and work with other disabled producers/trainees. Right now, she tries to learn and produce items made of Cambodian silk fabrics, and she forgets her bad memories and wishes to commit suicide. Now, she thinks that her life is important as other people. She doesn't want to die any longer, and life is worthy and honorable, so she pursues her life by producing silk items at CHA to sell to foreign customers in foreign countries. Nowadays, the and all disabled producers/trainees at CHA appeal for help or assistance from the generous customers or donors by placing orders from us or providing us for any funds, no matter how smaller it is, so that we can continue our efforts and living for our whole life. Not only she needs help from the customers or donors, but also all the disabled producers/trainees do appeal for kind assistance for daily living standard so that we can go on our future life and integrate into society as normal people in Cambodia or in foreign countries as in all over the world. Please help us as much as you can. We really need your assistance and good advice in order that we are all able to try to work hard and practice our skills to produce items and get daily income for our bright future when we go back to our home village, and live with our families in prosperous happiness.