During the Vietnam War, the country of Laos was bombed by the United States every eight minutes from 1964 to 1973. This secret warfare was an attempt to destroy any members of the North Vietnamese Army, however Laotian innocent civilians suffered the brunt of the attacks. B-52s unloaded bombs over Laos, leaving behind 200 million tons of bombs, of which one in three did not detonate. Decades later, that third of still-intact bombs continues to disrupt Lao's ability to progress beyond their war-ridden past. Many community members have suffered injury and death from the unexploded ordinances (UXO), well after the active bombings ceased.

In a country where eighty percent of employment is based in agriculture that does not generate surplus revenue, the land itself poses a threat due to the number of unfound bombs that have the potential to detonate during cultivation. When they do explode, injuring or killing, the family loses its livelihood.

Hearts has partnered with ARTICLE22 to support the artisans who re-purpose the bombs by recycling the metal into accessories and paying artisans at least 4x local market rates. Then, buying back the bombs, ARTICLE22 and Hearts donate the cost of clearing 3+ square meters of land to support the innovative work of this hopeful community.