Limbs for Life: A project for victims of land mines 1999 - 2003

In partnership with the International Committee of the Red Cross

The Limbs for Life project was a partnership between Soroptimist International and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide prostheses for land mine victims in Afghanistan, Angola and Georgia. Land mine statistics are grim: every twenty minutes a victim falls somewhere in the world and half die on the spot; 800 people are killed every month, and 1200 mutilated, mainly women and children. Many of the victims in developing countries are already in poverty: an artificial limb could cost them the equivalent of a year's salary.

With the help of Soroptimist International, the ICRC supplied 24,500 prostheses to mine victims in Angola, Afghanistan and Georgia between 1999 and 2003. Our aims were to restore human dignity to the victims, to help them become mobile again and reintegrate them into society, to enable children to return to school, and to allow women to lead a viable family life once more.

With the vigorous support of members throughout its four federations, Soroptimist International raised over GBP £1,114,000 to support this project.