<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://vietnamnews.vn/society/237604/fungi-growing-helps-explosion-victims.html">http://vietnamnews.vn/society/237604/fungi-growing-helps-explosion-victims.html</a></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif;">Việt Nam News</span></span></span><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
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<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">April 02, 2013
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</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;" class="pTitle"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 32px;"><span><span><br></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 32px; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="pTitle"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 32px;"><font><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span><span><span>Fungi growing helps explosion victims </span></span></span></span></font></span></span><br></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;" class="pTitle"><span
style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></span></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><div class="pSubTitle"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Donations to a technical training project bring hope to affected families </span></span><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;" class="pSubTitle"><br></div>
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<td align="center"><img alt="" style="width: 600px; height: 395px; border: 1px solid #000000; vertical-align: middle; margin-bottom: 3px;" src="http://vietnamnews.vn/thumbnail/600/nguyen-van-cuong.jpg?url=Storage/Images/2013/4/2/nguyen-van-cuong.jpg"></td>
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<td><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="pCaption">Despite being hearing-impaired
due to an ordnance explosion, 15-year-old Nguyen Van Cuong can help his
mother take care of mushrooms and raise his family's income. <span style="font-style: italic;">— Photo
Courtesy of Project Renew</span></span></span></span></td>
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<div class="pAuthor"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;" class="pAuthor"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px;"><span><span><span>by Hong Minh </span></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">QUANG TRI (VNS)— Bich Giang villager Nguyen Hinh is waiting for his
first batch of wood-ear fungi, hoping that it will provide a stable
income for his family. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just a year ago, 55-year-old Hinh living in central Quang Tri
Province's Cam Hieu Commune could hardly imagine growing anything. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The man has just one hand. The other was blown off 10 years ago by a grenade that exploded when he picked it up.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hinh expects to make a profit of VND3.5-4 million (US$170-190) by the
end of May, the first income from his new business endevour. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hinh lost his right hand when he tried to pick up a metal lump in his
garden. It turned out to be the remains of a wartime M79 grenade. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The loss of his hand slowed down vegetable production – and family income as well. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">His family lived in poverty until last year when Hinh was selected to
take part in a fungi growing programme funded by international donors.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"I believe that by joining the programme, my family can escape from
poverty very soon and earn enough money to take care of my four
children," Hinh said. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unlike Hinh, Nguyen Thi Tam from the province's Cam Lo District 15
years ago was a newly confined mom. The devil struck her as she was
trying to keep her three-day-old son warm by burning charcoal. A sudden
explosion of an arms shell hidden inside the coal occurred, leaving her
baby permanently deaf, inflicting Tam with more burden in her life. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tam joined the mushroom growing programme earlier than Hinh so she
has had experience of growing different types of fungi, which provided
her with new sustainable sources of income.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Last year, I earned VND1.3 million ($60) for 84 kilos of wood-ears,"
she said. "This year, I grow lingzhi and earn VND4-5 million ($200-250)
for one batch."</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tam's son, Nguyen Van Cuong, can now help his mother take care of the
mushrooms to raise income for the whole family despite being
hearing-impaired.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hinh and Tam are beneficiaries of Project Renew, which focused on
unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance and support for victims. The project
has been providing victims of UXO with technical training on how to
grow different varieties of mushrooms since 2010.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"The project's mushroom centre produced 15 tonnes of different
varieties of mushroom, including lingzhi, shell, wood-ear and shiitake,"
said Ta Nhan Ai, manager of Project Renew.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Two tonnes of lingzhi have been put into 50,000 nylon bags and
another 30,000 bags of wood-ears will be transported to UXO victims for
growing purposes," the manager revealed.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Last year, the centre upgraded its infrastructure by constructing an
expanded mushroom growing house with the support of the Japanese
government who donated $123,000 toward the project. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">According to Ai, the new house will contribute to raise productivity
by increasing the number of bags produced a day from 1,000 to up to
20,000.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Minister-Counsellor of the Japanese Embassy in Viet Nam Hideo Suzuki
said that the funds are aimed at helping improve the lives of UXO
victims in Quang Tri Province, the area that was the hardest hit by
bombs in Viet Nam.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">According to a recent survey, Quang Tri remains the province with the highest density of UXO left from the war.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Up to 83 per cent of the province's 475,000 hectares still contain
UXO, which are still killing and injuring many local people every year,"
said the provincial People's Committee Chairman, Nguyen Duc Cuong.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A report from the province shows that there are more than 7,000
post-war UXO victims. More than 40 per cent of these victims are in need
of support through vocational training to get means to raise their
income while the other 60 per cent are in need of direct financial
support.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cuong said that despite efforts from the government and local
authorities, the problems caused by UXO are still seriously affecting
the local development.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Every year, 10-15 per cent of the province's financial investment
goes into mitigating the effects of UXO but it still remains an
overarching problem," he said. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"We really need more support from international donors on this," he stressed.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan on Sunday called on all
domestic and international organisations and individuals to join hands
in supporting UXO victims in an event held in Ha Noi.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Marking the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in
Mine Action, which falls on April 4, he said:"Although the war ended
more than 37 years ago, its consequences still pervade throughout the
country.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Over 20 per cent of the entire country has been contaminated with
bombs and mines and over 100,000 people, mostly children and
breadwinners, have been killed or injured so far."</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of the 15 million tonnes of bombs and mines dropped in Viet Nam
during the war, there are still 800,000 unexploded across the country,
according to the Central Steering Committee of the National Action
Programme on Settling Consequences of UXO. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the current rate of UXO clearance, it is estimated to take 300
years to get rid of all the UXO in Viet Nam, the committee, also known
as Steering Committee 504, revealed.</span></span></div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><div><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Everyone needs to join hands in support for UXO victims, since the
misery of the victims is the misery of everyone," Nhan said. — VNS</span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: bookman old style,new york,times,serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span><span></span></div></div></body></html>