Wednesday 20 January 2016

💣 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

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