 Despite increasing stability in Cambodia, the killing fields continue. The terror lingers in the form of more than 2 million landmines that threaten innocent children and their families in many parts of the country. During three decades of civil war in Cambodia, all sides placed landmines indiscriminately and often with the intent to terrorize civilians. These mines are everywhere: along bridges, footpaths, rice paddies, river banks and around villages..
As a result, Cambodia has the highest per-capita percentage of mine
amputees in the world, with one in every 236 Cambodians living with one
or more lost limbs. Though several international organizations are addressing
many of the survivors’ physical needs, few provide support for
their economic reintegration
In Cambodia, Clear Path International focuses on providing vocational
skills training for mine survivors in partnership with Cambodian Volunteers
for Community Development. Since early 2002, Clear Path and CVCD have
graduated more than 150 accident survivors trained from courses in English,
computer skills, sewing, mechanics and electronics. Many have since found
employment or started their own business.
After providing this kind of training to survivors in Phnom Penh, the
partners launched a program to train mine survivors in the eastern province
of Kampong Cham, where communities were impacted by the “Secret
Bombing Campaign” of the early 1970s and years of civil war between
government troops and the Khmer Rouge.
After training most survivors in the district where the training center
was set up, Clear Path and CVCD have closed down the facility to start
a more ambitious economic recovery and integration project on the other
side of the country: the western province of Battambang near the border
with Thailand.
Here, the partners are setting up a rice mill and agricultural training
center for landmine accident survivors and their families. The $325,000
project includes a mill to process
rice, sesame and other crops for food and animal feed; and a training
center to teach landmine survivors, their family members and other disadvantaged
people in their communities farming and vocational skills.
Many of the food products, particularly the high-quality rice Battambang
Province is known for, will be distributed in bulk on easy credit terms
to disadvantaged urban families who are now often the victim of greedy
middlemen who sell them a poor product.
Sponsors:
McKnight Foundation
United Methodist Committee on Relief
Johnson & Widdifield Charitable Trust |
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“I know how much Cambodia is blessed to have you as a friend,”
- His Excellency Roland Eng
Cambodia's Former Ambassador to the US
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