Thursday, April 3, 2014

110 Million Active Land Mines

Did you know that approximately 2,000 people per month are either killed or maimed by buried land mines? Most of those are civilians living in areas with buried mines long after military hostility has ended.

Do a quick search in Google for statistics about buried land mines and the results are endless. 24,000 people per year are in danger of having their lives altered by these deadly devices - but because the cost is so great to remove them all (approximately 33 billion dollars!) they are simply left and the innocent discover them.  

Many of the children that PET West Michigan sends PET Carts to - are little ones who have been maimed by buried land mines. The average cost for surgical care and an orthopedic appliance in a developing country, is $3,000.  This isn't feasible for families to come up with, and more times than not the children end up not being mobile in anyway and are forgotten by society.  A PET cart costs only $300 to build and ship directly to these children and provides them with mobility and a new lease on life!


*much of the statistics and information in this blog were gathered from www.un.org

New Website Launch!

Have you stopped by the PET West Michigan web site lately?!  We've put on a whole new face - with more information, easier ways to connect with us, a user friendly donation area, and introductions to our team members!

PET West Michigan is part of the PET International non-profit organization that provides mobility carts to adults and children in developing countries.  Without access to adequate medical care, people in these countries who suffer from debilitating diseases like polio, or are victims of buried land mines - find themselves without a way to get around.  This often leads to a forgotten life, without the ability to play, visit with friends, and most importantly work and find ways to generate income.  With at hand-powered mobility cart, made with rugged wheels for the rough terrain and a small cargo area, recipients have a new found ability to get around, be productive, get to school, and participate in regular life!

Make sure you stop by our new site www.petwestmichigan.org and learn all about what we do, the countries we service and how you can get involved!