As many as 40,000 people, or one in 250, have lost limbs to landmines in Cambodia. Experts say that Cambodia has the highest ratio of amputees per capita in the world.[New York Times, Dec.4, 1997] Most of the Training Centre students are disabled through stepping on buried land mines; a few students have other histories such as polio.
By the time the students come to the school their medical situation is stabilized and they have usually been fitted with a prosthesis, if needed.
The students' first course of study is basic literacy in the Khmer [Cambodian] language, and numeracy. Because of the years of war in Cambodia and the disruption of the lives of all the citizens many students have never had the chance to go to school or to learn to read and write and do arithmetic. These skills will be necessary when they study a trade and when they set up their own businesses.
Students then learn a trade. We have taught:
On graduation we try to help our students get loans so they can buy the equipment they need to set up their business: tools for radio repair, sewing machine etc. Once they have returned to their homes and started their businesses the school does follow up as best we can with our limited funds and personnel.
Our Field Director is David Aston, a former chiropractor from Calgary.
Any financial contribution you can make would be a big help!!! Contributions are tax-deductible and you will receive a tax receipt.
To receive our newsletter or for further information please write:
Cambodian War Amputee Rehabilitarion Society/CWARS Box 61208 Kensington Post Office Calgary, Alberta T2N 4S6 Canada
Email address: chap@acs.ucalgary.ca Telephone: Jim Chap: (403) 248-5269 Bev Julien: (403) 283-2345 Fax: c/o: (403) 248-5269
Some friends of CWARS are: