Straight from Cambodia – Danielle along with Ashlee Larsen, a Brigham Young graduate student, is accompanying Stirring the Fire founder, Phil Borges as he documents the work of Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity.
A late-night arrival in Phnom Penh and an early morning-start today allowed me to hit the ground running. It began by a 7am pick up at my hotel. A minivan of employees on their daily commute to the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity swung by to pick me up. Battling an hour of near-miss traffic, we arrived at our destination just after 8am.
The CASC compound is located off a main street, giving it an atmosphere of country rather than city. Adding to this are the grounds of the compound, offering lots of space to cultivate crops and raise poultry – some of the skills that acid burn survivors will learn while at the center. This feeling of spaciousness and peace is guarded, quite literally. The property has 24 hour security because some acid burn survivors continue to receive threats while at the center.
Helping me get oriented, Program Manager Ziad Samman provided a thorough overview of the work CASC does and how they help survivors in their rehabilitation. They offer a holistic approach ranging from networking with hospitals and healthcare providers, to advocacy and outreach, to working with local authorities and other NGOs, and helping survivors build their legal cases. CASC has also contributed to first-ever legislation that would regulate the sales of acid and give harsher criminal sentences to perpetrators. The draft of legislation is currently being worked on and the hope is that it will be signed into law by early next year.
CASC also provides on-site housing for survivors recently burned, or recently found (half the patients are previous acid burn survivors who never got help). They also provide 3 meals a day, on-site physical therapy and peer counseling. Another unique aspect of this organization is that they are the only agency that custom makes pressure garments for burn survivors in all of Cambodia.
Land to cultivate on the CASC compound
Pressure, or compression garments are key in helping survivors heal from burns. They need to be tailored to the individual in order to truly work. They fit snuggly on the arm, leg, or face in order to help keep the skin from forming three-dimensional, hard scars that, if left untreated, limit the person’s movement over time.
Pressure Garments and Hand-knit Bags made by Survivors
Throughout the day as I learned about CASC and the work they do, Zaid and I revisited the persistent question of why? Why do people resort to throwing acid on others? This question unfortunately has no clear answer. In order to try to understand this horrific act, one has to start by looking at the complicated web of people’s lives from the micro to the macro. Throwing acid seems to be a remedy for inter-personal conflict resolution. People want to put an end to a dispute, or to a situation that they feel they cannot control. Anecdotally, from the survivors I spoke with there appeared to be a total misunderstanding on the part of the perpetrator as to the devastating effects of acid. It seems the perpetrators didn’t mean to maim them so badly, or destroy their lives so completely. They just wanted to put a stop to something that person was doing.
Part of the issue is how easily acid is available for purchase. In Cambodia acid is considered a household necessity and is frequently used to clear blocked drains. Here you also have to change your car battery acid on your own, rather than replace an entire old battery with a new one. Acid is therefore sold pretty much anywhere in pretty much any type of container including plastic bags and soda bottles. And it is cheap – about 1$US for 1 liter.
Some of the burn victims mistook acid for water and either bathed in it or drank it. But those are the rarer incidents. More often it is used in a premeditated, organized, targeted way to get a point across.
Tomorrow our team will be going on home visits to speak with survivors. Their stories will be shared here. Stay tuned!
Ending Violence against Women – Acid Burns
Acid burning is one of the most extreme forms of violence that causes severe physical and psychological scarring, and social ostracism. The victims of acid violence, largely women and girls, are often left with limited access to medical or psychological assistance, no legal recourse, and no means of livelihood.
Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) is the only organization in the world focused on combating and eradicating acid burns violence at the international level. In Cambodia, ASTI partners with Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (CASC) to provide vital services to survivors of acid burns violence. With support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, ASTI and CASC assist women survivors of acid violence to receive justice and to rebuild their lives. The organizations also sensitize and empower local communities to stand up against acid violence.
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, managed by UN Women, is a leading source of support for local and national efforts to end violence against women and girls. Join the UN Trust Fund in this vital work—for more information on how you can support the UN trust Fund click here.