Saiyasouk Buakeo, age 24, from the Mines Advisory Group female team shows a bamboo shoot she found as food in the forest. Laos is a poor country with few jobs. The women are well paid by Laos standards and are given a food allowance. However, many of their family members often depend on their income so they find creative ways to save money locating food in the forest. They are also paid in US Dollars which has declined significantly over the last year affecting their income...Laos was...
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Saiyasouk Buakeo, age 24, from the Mines Advisory Group female team shows a bamboo shoot she found as food in the forest. Laos is a poor country with few jobs. The women are well paid by Laos standards and are given a food allowance. However, many of their family members often depend on their income so they find creative ways to save money locating food in the forest. They are also paid in US Dollars which has declined significantly over the last year affecting their income...Laos was part of a "Secret War", waged within its borders primarily by the USA and North Vietnam. Many left over weapons supplied by China and Russia continue to kill. However, between 90 and 270 million fist size cluster bombs were dropped on Laos by the USA, with a failure rate up to 30%. Millions of live cluster bombs still contaminate large areas of Laos causing death and injury. The US Military dropped approximately 2 million tons of bombs on Laos making it, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world. ..The women of Mines Advisory Group (MAG) work everyday under dangerous conditions removing unexploded ordinance (UXO) from fields and villages...***All photographs of MAG's work must include (either on the photo or right next to it) the credit as follows: Mine clearance by MAG (Reg. charity)***.
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