The boy made to lay mines — now the man who clears them.
Taken from his family by the Khmer Rouge at the age of five, Aki Ra was made a soldier in the armies that fought over Cambodia for nearly 35 years. When the wars ended, he went back to the villages he had mined — and began pulling the landmines out of the ground, by hand.
Aki Ra was born in 1970 and taken from his family by the Khmer Rouge at the age of five. He fought for the many different armies that ravaged Cambodia for nearly 35 years.
After years of fighting he returned to the villages in which he had planted thousands of mines as a soldier and began removing them — by hand, defusing them with homemade tools. In those villages he found many children wounded by landmines, orphaned or abandoned. He brought them home, where he and his wife Hourt cared for them alongside their own children.
In his home, he displayed some of the items he had made safe and charged tourists $1 to see them, using the money to support the children in his care. That first makeshift museum opened in 1997, and was ordered closed in 2006.
A Canadian charity founded by filmmaker Richard Fitoussi had been raising money to build a new facility. Land was found near Banteay Srei temple and, with the help of donors across the globe, the CLMMRF built the current Landmine Museum. It opened in 2007. In 2010, Aki Ra was named a CNN Top 10 Hero out of 10,000 nominees.
Educate the public on the dangers of landmines — through the story of Aki Ra.
The museum believes landmine use will only begin to end when we all demand it stops. That can only happen through determination and education.
Make Cambodia — and the whole world — landmine free.
Every visit, every donation and every story shared moves us closer to ground that families can cross without fear.
The work reaches beyond the museum walls.
Caring for child victims of war
Born from Aki Ra's original museum, the Relief Center raised children orphaned or wounded by landmines as his own. It closed in 2018 — children with families returned home to school, others were placed in licensed care or supported through university. With funds, we will reopen it.
Over 20 schools, 3,000+ children
RSVP turned Aki Ra's mission into education — building more than 20 schools and giving over 3,000 children the chance to learn. Villagers built them with local materials; donations covered uniforms, books and bicycles. More will follow as funds allow.
Growing food, growing futures
Teaching farmers, students and city dwellers to grow organic crops — through hydroponic farming, greenhouse growing and mushroom cultivation.
None of this happens without you.
Aki Ra could never have achieved so much without our visitors, supporters and donors. Every gift goes straight into demining, education, and keeping the museum's doors open — 100% to programs, no admin cut.
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