Reproduced from the Lao Dong newspaper
Based on a story by Ms Thuy, MAG Office Assistant
Mrs Hoang Thi Hai Ly was born and grew up in Gio Linh in the province of Quang Tri. As a child she remembers bombs being dropped in the area, 10 per cent of which failed to detonate making the land of Quang Tri extremely dangerous for the local communities.
As she got older she witnessed more and more accidents and even deaths as a result of UXO (unexploded ordnance) and felt that she ought to do something to protect her friends and neighbours. She and her husband set up home in Gio Quang commune and while farming their land, she found many dangerous items. Although she was scared of the UXO, she gradually began to recognise what was a threat and came up with an effective way of marking them so that other members of the community would avoid them - she would place branches around the items and tie a piece of string around one of the taller branches.
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| Mrs Ly in her MAG uniform |
When MAG arrived to clear Quang Tri province, Mrs Ly would help the workers by letting them rest in her home at lunchtime and making them bowls of green tea. Eventually, in January 2001, in a second round of MAG recruitment, she applied for an interview and was recruited and trained. "I was so happy when I first put on my MAG uniform," she said. "I was looking forward to helping people live safer lives."
Eight out of a total of 72 technicians in MAG Quang Tri are female.
Four years have passed since Mrs Ly joined MAG and much of the local land is now tinted with green grass. In addition, the Truc Lam Resettlement Area has been developed, and now has 78 concrete houses. There is also a clinic, a school, electricity and a clean source of water. Mrs Ly sums up her feelings by saying: "I hope MAG will extend their operations here, so that all the contaminated villages in Quang Tri are cleared. The land will be safe and returned free from UXO, so that local communities and live and work with confidence."
