Giving a ‘helping hand’ to amputees

Hervey Bay is a long way from Cambodia however the students at Carinity Education – Glendyne are making a huge difference to landmine amputees.

The Special Assistance School, designed to assist young people who have struggled with mainstream schooling, has partnered with the Rotary Club of Hervey Bay to build bionic arms for victims of landmine accidents.

Carinity Education – Glendyne Principal Dale Hansen said students had been assisting Rotary with their humanitarian efforts for the past decade.

“We have been building wheelchairs for landmine victims for a long time as part of our workshop curriculum. With the Helping Hands Program all students can participate as the kits are designed to be built by anyone,” Dale said.

“Students have responded very positively to the initiative and we are now fundraising for a few students to go to Cambodia and Laos next year with Rotary to see firsthand the positive impact of their work.”

In addition to assembling the arms, students decorate the case and enclose a personal note for the recipient.

Year 12 student Deborah Vernon-Hall said she enjoyed being able to put some of her personality onto the case.

“We were told a person every 15 minutes is killed or seriously injured by a landmine so I am glad to be part of making a difference in a person’s life,” Deborah said.

There are an estimated 110 million anti-personnel landmines in the ground and the worst-affected areas are Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Iraq and Laos.

For media enquiries please contact:

Emma Sugget, Communications Officer, Carinity
Ph: (07) 3550 3769 / 0409 865 930
Email: emma.sugget@carinity.org.au