Back to School in Southeast Asia
Imagine sending your child to a school surrounded by explosive devices left behind from a war that ended before they were born. Imagine having to teach children to identify landmines as part of their curriculum so that they can stay safe. Imagine a child being denied their right to education because they have to cross a minefield to get to school.
For many parents in Southeast Asia, they don’t have to imagine. Although conflict ended decades ago, unexploded remnants of war continue to endanger lives and inhibit access to education in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Demining organizations have been working tirelessly for years to remove explosives and conducting risk education programs, but there is still more to be done to ensure that every child can go to school without fear.
As children across the United States prepare to go back to school, APOPO, The HALO Trust, Legacies of War, PeaceTrees Vietnam, and the Mines Advisory Group are working together to make sure children in Southeast Asia can do the same.
At APOPO, we harness the remarkable abilities of our HeroRATs and HeroDOGs to effectively clear these hazardous materials, creating a safer future for all. Our humanitarian demining programs foster societies where people can live with the dignity and security they deserve.
We urge you to stand with us in calling upon Congress to end the threat of landmines as a barrier to education in Southeast Asia and beyond. By doing so, you will help APOPO, its HeroRATs, HeroDOGs, and other demining partners save more lives.
Please join us by signing this letter to tell Congress to support important funding in the FY25 budget. Thank you.
