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A Story of Anti-Personnel Mines: Maria's StoryBy Jennifer Kenny

Caption: A soldier who was mutilated by a land mine, with his daughter in Bogotá,Colombia.

Maria is a child. She likes to play. She likes to be with her family. She likes tobe outside. These are probably things that you enjoy, too. There's one big differencebetween Maria and most of the children in the world, though. Maria lost both her legand her father. How did these things happen? She lost both in an anti-personnelmine accident.

When you run around outside, you have to be careful not to trip on a rock, not tostep on broken glass, or not get a splinter in your foot. Maria has to worry aboutstepping on something a lot more dangerous - a mine.

Maria lives in a small village in a country called Colombia. Anti-personnel minesare hidden throughout Colombia. They are used as weapons. Unlike guns, though,that need to be shot to be used, anti-personnel mines are activated when the victimdetonates it. Land mines are hidden - on the ground or just below the ground. Itdoesn't matter who steps on it; the land mine can't tell the difference. The victim could be a soldier, an oldercivilian, or even a child. Once detonated, a land mine can cause severe injuries to the victim.

Maria could share the stories of many victims. In Maria's case, her father and she were walking near their home.One of them triggered the hidden land mine. Maria's father died right away. Maria lost her leg. She was lucky thata friend could get her to the hospital; otherwise she might have died as well. Maria needed many operations to helpher heal. Maria is still waiting for a prosthesis to take the place of her lost leg. Since she is still growing, she willconstantly need new ones to fit her bigger size.

Maria's friend Selena had a similar experience. Her friend was walking with her parents to get into town. Hermother stepped on an anti-personnel land mine. Her mom was dragged, unconscious, to a far away hospital. Shedied the next morning.

Maria's cousin Aurelio also stepped on a land mine. Her uncle carried Aurelio all the way to the distant capital forhelp. He, too, lost his leg and is waiting for a prosthesis.

In fact, there are two or three victims of land mines each day in Colombia. It is estimated that over 100,000 landmines are hidden in Colombia. More are planted every day. There's a great deal of fighting in Colombia betweenthe government and guerilla groups. The government claims to have destroyed the anti-personnel mines itpossessed. However, guerillas such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia openly admit they continue touse and plant them. These guerilla groups like to use the mines to make roads impassable. When planted onfarmlands, land mines make it dangerous to use the land for farming and, consequently, make it difficult for avillage to survive on its own. Land mines are often planted to protect the guerillas' camps from the government'sarmy, especially after a guerilla group has attacked a village and the army is trying to capture them. Guerillas havegone as far as to plant land mines near schools.

Land mines are inexpensive to plant. Each one costs approximately $1 to make. However, they are expensive anddangerous to remove. It costs about $1,000 to remove just one. Figure out the math. If there are 100,000 hidden,that would be $100 million to remove them all.

Humanitarian organizations are trying to do just that. They conduct mine clearing operations. However, landmines affect almost all of the provinces in Colombia. Land mines can last fifty years. Even those who areattempting to find and destroy them are in danger. Since the anti-personnel mines are still planted, the obstacles arecontinually present.

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Land mines present obstacles to both the removal process and the humanitarian medical process. When a person isinjured in a land mine accident, the explosion has the ability to blow apart one leg or two. In addition, it throwssoil, rocks, and bone pieces inside the wounded area. Infection is extremely common as a result. Also, only skilledsurgeons can even attempt to operate on the injuries. It can take a full day just to reach the hospital that has askilled surgeon and necessary equipment. Accidents in remote places make care difficult. Even the trip can behazardous because of other hidden mines.

If a victim survives the initial surgery, he or she often needs more surgeries. Prostheses are often needed, but it cantake a long time to get one. A child needs more than one as he or she grows. Being poor often leaves one withoutmuch help. Many adults who have been injured can't work anymore. The situation can seem hopeless.

Maria and her family survive one day at a time. She has many physical and psychological issues to overcome.Humanitarian groups continue to step in to help, trying to make Colombia a safer place to live. However,eliminating the dangerous devices could take a minimum of 10 to 20 years. That's not including the new onesplanted every day. In the meantime, these land mines remain the weapons of choice for many guerillas.

A Story of Anti-Personnel Mines: Maria's Story

Questions

1. Maria lives in ______.

A. ColombiaB. BrazilC. the United StatesD. Mexico

2. Anti-personnel mines can harm ______.

A. childrenB. parentsC. soldiersD. all of the above

3. A ______ will one day take the place of Maria's lost leg.

A. wheelchairB. prosthesisC. shoeD. scooter

4. How many land mines are still believed to be hidden in Colombia?

A. only 10B. around 1,000C. around 100,000D. no more

5. In Colombia, anti-personnel mines are often hidden by ______.

A. guerillasB. government workersC. childrenD. families

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6. Removal of anti-personnel land mines is often a ______.

A. dangerous processB. an expensive processC. both of the aboveD. neither of the above

7. Humanitarian groups are trying to help the Colombian people.

A. FalseB. True

Write a diary entry about a day in Maria's life.

Write a newspaper account of a land mine accident.