Every day, the men and women of CLMMRF walk into mined land so that Cambodian families never have to. Among them, one story stands out — a father and his son, working side by side to clear the land they love.
In the middle of an active minefield survey area, a father and his son stand shoulder to shoulder. The mine warning stakes flank them on either side. The sky above is wide and clear. They are both deminers. They chose this work together.
This is not just a job. For this father-son team, demining is a calling passed from one generation to the next — a living testament to what it means to serve your community with courage, precision, and love. Together, they have helped clear land so that other families can farm, walk to school, and live without fear. That is the legacy they are building — metre by metre, day by day.
The CLMMRF demining team in the field — eight people, one mission. Men and women from their communities doing some of the most dangerous humanitarian work in the world.Aki Ra sweeps his metal detector across a cleared section of forest floor — the same hands that once laid mines as a child soldier under the Khmer Rouge now dedicating over 30 years to removing them. Despite living with the trauma of what he witnessed and was forced to do, he has never stopped. He comes back to the land every single day. This is what redemption looks like.Manual probing — the most dangerous step in demining. Centimetre by centimetre, at a 30-degree angle, with total stillness. One wrong move can cost a life. His steadiness saves themBefore probing begins, vegetation must be carefully cleared by hand. Every cut is controlled — there can be no sudden force when mines lie beneath.End of a clearance day. The CLMMRF team loads recovered ordnance into their truck — mines and unexploded remnants that will never harm anyone again. They are tired. The work is done. Tomorrow they will go back.
Cambodia’s land can be safe. Aki Ra and his team will make it so — but they cannot do it alone. Every donation funds equipment, training, and field operations for teams like this one. If their story moved you, please help us continue this work.
