Help Cambodia protect its folks from land mines

By Maggie Downs
The Desert Sun
March 21, 2010

Cambodia is simultaneously magical and savage — a country populated by generous, warm people who live on land that can literally kill them.

Bill Morse knows this well.

The Palm Springs man, who moved to Cambodia last year, heads up Cambodian Self Help Demining, a non-governmental organization that is run for and by Cambodians.

Morse invites our community to pitch in and help, too, by attending an upcoming auction at Peabody's Cafe in Palm Springs.

“We really need people to come out and give,” Morse told me by phone, speaking from his home in Siem Reap. “Even the smallest amount of money makes an enormous difference.”

The organization helps Cambodians make their own country safe for their own people. Their work is mostly focused in what the government considers to be “low-priority” villages.

They also run the Cambodian Landmine Museum, which promotes mine awareness for tourists and natives.
Danger lurks everywhere

Mine clearance is not an easy job in a place still peppered with an estimated 5 million explosives.

But it's necessary work — after the land is cleared, the people can safely use it for farming, businesses, roads and homes.

Last year, they cleared more than 163,000 square meters, putting over 2,400 people back on the land.

And they did it all for just $4,313 per month.

Last year, their first full year of operations, the nonprofit trained and employed 19 Cambodian de-miners.

“Some of our guys are ex-Khmer Rouge soldiers, working as penance for what they did in the past,” Morse says. “Some are fathers who are concerned about the future of their country. One is a boy who lived at the land mine museum and is missing a limb.”

This year, the organization plans to add a second de-mining team. This one will be an all-female team, providing necessary jobs for Cambodian women. Their team leader is a 23-year-old named Sophary, currently the office manager at the land mine museum.

Sophary works full-time, goes to school full-time, is putting her brother and sister through school, is helping her parents pay off their mortgage and has a volunteer job.

“Her vision is to help clear land mines,” Morse says, “because it's so important for her country.”

The land mine museum also houses and educates children who are victims of land mines or come from families too poor to feed or clothe them. They currently care for 26 children and expect to add 20 more before the end of the year.

The April 6 auction at Peabody's will feature many items, including Khmer jewelry and clothing, a stay at a bed and breakfast in Maine, dinner at local restaurants and a trip to Cambodia with the opportunity to detonate a land mine.

Maggie Downs is a features reporter for The Desert Sun. She can be reached at (760) 778-6435 or maggie.downs@thedesertsun.com.