💣 minesweep

every now and then

the roads are lined with stalls 

selling all kinds of things

for locals

for passing tourists

curious, we stop here

these are little golden nuggets of palm sugar

used in cooking

palm flowers are squeezed

the juice heated to a thick paste

then dried in the sun

 we drive past Khmer homes

people harvesting rice in the paddy fields

water buffalo basking in the sun

you often see these signs

and boards declaring that the site is cleared 

of landmines

this museum was founded by Aki Ra

a former child soldier with the Khmer Rouge

named a CNN hero in 2010

he really is a man to be admired 

spending 25 days each month in the minefields 

removing devices 

then dedicating the rest of his time to his family 

and the children at the school supported by 

the Landmine Museum

up to 20% of rural Cambodia is still contaminated with landmines

over 3.5 million have been removed since the 1990's

there are around 40,000 amputees in Cambodia

the museum serves to educate the public of the dangers 

that landmines still present in Cambodia today

  it shares the property with a school for 

landmine victims and their children