Victim Aid

• We finance the prosthetic fitting and thanks to this prosthesis people learn to walk again.
• Thanks to the rehabilitation they come step by step closer to a dignified life again.
• We support the mine victims in their socio-economic reintegration. This can take the form of training or retraining, or the granting of a microcredit to help them start their own business.
• In Cambodia, we support 5 young local people in training to become orthopedic technicians/prosthesis manufacturers and 10 physiotherapy students each year.

Prosthetic care

Your donation makes it possible to procure material and components from the state-owned component factory in Phnom Penh – basic materials for further processing into prostheses and orthoses.

Trained orthopedic technicians then ensure that a perfectly fitting prosthesis is made individually for each victim at the various rehabilitation centers around the country. No pressure points, no abrasions!

Facts

• Children usually need 2 prostheses per year, as they are still growing. They cost about $150.
• Adults need a new prosthesis every 2 to 4 years depending on wear and tear. Most need a new artificial foot every year, as they usually wear out a lot. Costs $25 per foot.
• A lower leg prosthesis costs $250 and a thigh prosthesis, i.e., a whole leg prosthesis, costs about $400, a pair of crutches $20.

Student education

Your donation makes it possible to finance the training of 5 local students in orthopedic technology and prosthesis manufacture per year and in addition, 10 training places for physiotherapy in Cambodia every year. Regular contact with the school and study management, as well as with the students financed by us, guarantees us that your donation is used for the intended purpose up to the bachelor’s degree.

Once trained, the students commit themselves to practice in their own country for at least 2 years – so your donation is an investment in the future.

Rehab

Once the prosthesis is fitted, victims must learn how to use it in everyday life. Walking on uneven terrain and muddy ground, climbing stairs, and overcoming obstacles must be practiced. Because only after passing the test – under the supervision of physiotherapists and orthopedic technicians – is it possible to be discharged from the rehabilitation center. Some make it in 2 weeks, others need a little longer. They all receive additional therapy hours, which are made possible thanks to your donation.

Socio-economic reintegration

Life “afterwards” is usually different. It is often hardly possible to do the same work as before. The rice farmer, the trader, the fisherman or the child – all of them need an individual integration into their new everyday life: Back to the family, back to the familiar environment, back to an independent and self-determined life.

Therefore, it is important that all of them, children, or adults, know the next steps in their everyday life before they are discharged from the rehabilitation center. Trained social workers accompany this process.

Retraining, finding apprenticeships, micro-credits to purchase equipment and/or materials to practice a profession are possible supports. We do not pay cash; we simply provide the necessary resources.

Micro Economic Initiative projects (MEI)

A grant of USD 300 up to a maximum of USD 1,000 can allow people to retrain in a different profession more adapted to their new circumstances. This then provides a secure income for their household. ICRC staff supervise the projects closely to ensure they are a success. In this way, a tiny input can produce a huge output.