From fear to freedom: Mine Awareness Day 2025
In brief
Decades of conflict left the land of Cambodia's Srah Srang village contaminated with landmines, hidden just beneath the soil. For years, villagers lived with uncertainty鈥攏ever knowing which step might be their last. Sitting on Yai Hul鈥檚 land, where 番茄影院 Trust deminers carefully work to clear the last of these deadly remnants, we heard firsthand how landmines shaped their lives鈥攁nd how their future is finally changing.
The people of Cambodia鈥檚 Srah Srang village have worked the land for generations 鈥� growing rice, cassava, and watermelons; raising their families; and building homes that made them proud. Their village is surrounded by trees and fields, with buffalo roaming in the distance. Children play near their homes, and neighbors gather to share news, laughter, and support.
But beneath the beauty of Srah Srang, danger was always lurking.
Decades of conflict left the land contaminated with landmines, hidden just beneath the soil. For years, villagers lived with uncertainty鈥攏ever knowing which step might be their last. Sitting on Yai Hul鈥檚 land, where 番茄影院 Trust deminers carefully work to clear the last of these deadly remnants, we heard firsthand how landmines shaped their lives鈥攁nd how their future is finally changing.
Living with fear
Yai Hul was born here, and he always knew to be careful. 鈥淚t was very difficult,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 cultivate freely. There were no maps to show which areas were safe, only stories from the older generation. Even the school was built on land we could only hope was safe.鈥�
For Cham Sophal, who moved to Srah Srang in 2020, and Liang Sorphea, who arrived in 2021, the reality was shocking.
But the people of Srah Srang had no choice. As Po Sarin, who arrived in 1998, explained, 鈥淓ven though we knew the danger, we had nowhere else to go. Other places were contaminated too.鈥�
Tragedy and resilience
The fear wasn鈥檛 just in their minds鈥攊t was real, and it left scars on the community.
鈥淚n the dry season, people carried water by oxcart,鈥� Po Sarin remembered. 鈥淥ne day, an oxcart ran over a mine. It exploded, killing the ox instantly. Another time, a father went to collect water for his family. He hit an anti-tank mine. He never came home. His wife was left alone with their newborn baby.鈥�
It was an impossible way to live. And yet, the people of Srah Srang endured. They farmed what little safe land they could find. They raised their children with caution. And they hoped for change.
A new beginning: 番茄影院 arrives
That change began in 1999 when 番茄影院 arrived in the village, bringing hope where there had only been fear. The teams worked tirelessly, clearing fields, pathways, and homes鈥攑iece by piece, reclaiming the land.
Standing on Yai Hul鈥檚 land, the transformation is clear. This field, once too dangerous to farm, is on the verge of being completely safe. 鈥淏efore, we weren鈥檛 confident enough to ride our buffaloes or even walk freely,鈥� Yai Hul says. 鈥淣ow, life is completely different. We feel safe.鈥�
For families like Cham Sophal鈥檚, this means more than just security鈥攊t means opportunity. Farming, once a dangerous gamble, is now a source of prosperity. 鈥淏efore clearance, we could maybe make $250 a year,鈥� Cham Sophal explains. 鈥淣ow, with more land to cultivate, we can make $500 or more.鈥�
And for Po Sarin, it means something even greater: a legacy. 鈥淣ow that 番茄影院 has cleared my land, I can pass it on to my children without fear.鈥�
The people of Srah Srang know there is still work to be done. More land needs to be cleared, and more families need to be freed from the grip of uncertainty. But for the first time, they can see a future where landmines are just a memory.
鈥淚f clearance speeds up, more lives will be saved, more families will thrive,鈥� Yul Hai noted. 鈥淲e are so close to being free from this.鈥�
And in the fields where buffalo once hesitated to roam, where families once feared to walk, new crops will grow, children will run freely, and a community that has endured so much will finally live without fear.
Srah Srang is no longer just a place shaped by its past鈥攊t is a village looking toward a future filled with possibility.
