As the road narrowed, a large rock blocked their path. Getting off the motorbike, Soeut squatted down and lifted the rock out of the mud with his left hand. With one small movement, Soeut’s world was shattered as a land mine exploded from underneath leaving him blind and without a left hand.

Soeut’s story is one of many in Cambodia. As a legacy of various conflicts over the last two decades, Cambodia has become one of the most heavily landmine/UXO-contaminated countries in the world. According the Cambodia Mine Action Center (CMAC), over 46% of Cambodian villages (or 6,422 villages) are contaminated by land mines and UXO's with an estimated 4 – 6 million mines still left.

With Mines and UXO’s remaining a daily threat to people across the country and countless people living below the poverty line, many individuals and families livelihoods are greatly affected. With increasing social and economic problems, the country and society is in need of a broad spectrum of services to support families and communities overcoming the ravages of war.

The Cambodian Red Cross is implementing of the Community Based Landmine/UXO Risk Education and other humanity activities to alleviate the problem and target those living in the most affected areas by implementing a Social Rehabilitation for Mine Victim Pilot Project (SRMV). Starting as a pilot project earlier this year, the program aims to improve the quality of life to mine victims by promoting humanitarian values in communities, especially targeting those located long distances from the provincial towns or cities that otherwise have no access to services.

Suon-Rem, is one example that the Red Cross SRMV project has recently helped. Working as a farmer in the fields above her house, Suon- Rem was only 23 years old when she stepped on an anti-personnel mine, blowing off both her lower legs in July last year.

Like many land mine victims, Suon-Rem's family were very poor and had recently moved to O Cher Krum village in a district in Pailin city near the border of Thailand to find work. Living in a small, wall-less house, with her father and her 2 sister’s families, her family could barely provide for her when the accident happened. "My basic need was food. My family couldn’t support me and I couldn’t support myself," says Suon-Rem.

Suon-Rem sitting outside her shop waiting for customers.

Through a donation of US$250 from Mr Daijiro Mizushima, the SRMV project was able to provide Suon-Rem with a grant to fulfill her dream of setting up her own business and opening a small stall. The project aims to help victims and their families develop a quality of life and sustainability through addressing their basic needs, including food security and social welfare. "Having a small grocery store is the only thing I can do without using my legs," Suon- Rem says, adding: "I can't sew or go to the fields to work, but I can run a small grocery store as I am sitting down all day selling things to the people."

Since the accident, Suon-Rem’s life has turned around. Through counseling by Red Cross Volunteers she has had improving her own hope, trust and unity among her family and community.

"When I first woke after the accident I did not want to live,” she said. “But with the Red Cross volunteers talked to me and supported me. They helped me realize that I still have potential and I still can work.”

While Suon-Rem underwent rehabilitation at the ICRC Rehabilitation Center, the Red Cross volunteers visited her and talked to her about the accident. Once out of rehabilitation, the Red Cross Volunteers and Development officer helped Suon-Rem set up her stall by purchasing goods for her to sell from the markets. They also worked with the local authorities to provide Suon-Rem land to build her stall.

Since opening the stall in early October, Suon- Rem has been able to support herself and her family. Selling rice, cakes, cigs, fish, oils, beer, veggies, cold drinks, gas, alcohol etc she is making a profit of more than US$15 a day. Over US$13 more than she would make if she was still a farmer.

Suon-Rem is extremely lucky. The land that she got given by the local authorities is on a busy intersection near the main and next to the local school and pagoda. Working everyday from 6am – 6pm, her family has all rallied around her in to help. Every morning and evening they transport Suon-Rem and her goods to the stall and help her set up. Now that Suon-Rem can contribute to her family’s income, her father, who is getting quite frail, has started working at the local pagoda next to the stall. Her life has been changed as she no longer has to work as a farmer to support her. “Now I am very happy because I am starting with my life,” she says with a smile.

While the Social Rehabilitation for Mine Victim Pilot Project is just beginning, it has set a target to assist at least 224 individual mine victims through direct assistance according to the case assessment report such as food, transportation, agricultural seeds, home repair, small business and or medical assistance. It focuses on helping individuals and family members who are especially vulnerable.

With a small grant of $US200, the Red Cross is planning to help Voeun Soeut rebuild is life. By providing Soeut with pigs to start a farm, materials for cooking and a pig pen, Soeut and his family will be able to work and be better off.

”Sometimes I find it difficult to live,” says Soeut, “but I have to think about my family especially my children. I want to be able to help them. I want to raise animals again but I didn’t have any support. The Red Cross has really helped me’’