During the Tet Holiday in 1968, Thi Cuu, was 13 years old. She and her sister left their home to join the festivities. But during the celebration, a bomb fell close to the two young girls. Thi Cuu was injuried and lost her leg. She fell into a deep depression. Though her family encouraged her, she faced much ridicule from the community and had difficulty finding work once she finished her schooling. Thi Cuu took a job breaking rocks to sell for paving roads. It was grueling work, and the wages were sometimes only enough for one meal a day.

After years of struggle, Thi Cuu met Survivor Corps. Through our partner organizations, we helped Thi Cuu purchase materials to make traditional Vietnamese hats. She also wanted to try raising pigs, so Survivor Corps put her in touch with a micro-finance partner and helped her buy pigs. Thi Cuu is now a successful pig farmer. As her circumstances improved, so did her feelings of worth. “Now I can see the bright light of the sun clearly. My life is better thanks to this care.”

Now Thi Cuu confidently interacts with people in her village, who have come to admire her for bravely overcoming her disability. She says the emotional support she received from other survivors is more valuable than all the material goods. She hopes other women survivors will follow her example and their overcome their disabilities to reclaim their lives.