Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD) is a nonprofit
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
founded by
Aki Ra
Aki Ra (sometimes written Akira, born ) is a former Khmer Rouge conscripted child soldier who works as a deminer and museum curator in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He has devoted his life to removing landmines in Cambodia and to caring for young landmine ...
in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. Its mission is to clear
landmine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
s and
UXOs in 'low priority' villages throughout the Kingdom of Cambodia. Low priority villages are often villages in remote area with limited traffic and populated by poor farmers. Hence, they do not receive priority from
mine clearance
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contra ...
projects and are at times overlooked.
Efforts and funding
Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD) is a nonprofit
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
founded by
Aki Ra
Aki Ra (sometimes written Akira, born ) is a former Khmer Rouge conscripted child soldier who works as a deminer and museum curator in Siem Reap, Cambodia. He has devoted his life to removing landmines in Cambodia and to caring for young landmine ...
in
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. Its mission is to clear
landmine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
s and
UXOs in 'low priority' villages throughout the Kingdom of Cambodia. Low priority villages are often villages in remote area with limited traffic and populated by poor farmers. Hence, they do not receive priority from
mine clearance
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing land mines from an area. In military operations, the object is to rapidly clear a path through a minefield, and this is often done with devices such as mine plows and blast waves. By contra ...
projects and are at times overlooked.
[ The development problems that Cambodia faces with regard to landmines are enormous. The CSHD helps to solve some of the problems, such as rural poverty, by giving people access to previously hazardous land that can be used for farming, houses and schools to improve their standard of living.][
In 2010, CSHD cleared seven villages, removed 150 mines and UXOs and put 4,695 people back on previously mine-contaminated land. They also helped to build and support two village schools and paid the teacher's salaries.
CSHD has set up a Landmine Relief Fund to support the demining process. The main aim of the Fund is to seek contributions from external organizations to finance maintenance of the demining team. It costs about US$9,000 per month to maintain a demining team in the field, with the deminers paid up to US$250 per month. In 2011, CSHD had only 1 demining team, comprising 18 deminers working in the field and 7 support staff. It has been a continuing challenge for CSHD to raise funds.
]
Affiliates
Besides actively carrying out demining work in the field, Cambodian Self Help Demining also cares for the children living at the Landmine Museum Relief Center; a home to children who have been orphaned by landmines and have no one else to take care of them. Their mission is to provide education and support for children at risk.
See also
*Land mines in Cambodia
Cambodia is a country located in Southeast Asia that has a major problem with landmines, especially in rural areas. This is the legacy of three decades of war which has taken a severe toll on the Cambodians; it has some 40,000 amputees, which is ...
References
{{Reflist
Mine action organizations
Military history of Cambodia