Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Two decades of civil war from the 1970s through the 1990s have seen extensive damage perpetrated on the Cambodian economy, culture and social order. The scars of war are still impacting negatively, particularly with regard to rural areas of the country. Steadily over 800 landmine accidents are occurring annually. There are currently 67,000 landmine victims in Cambodia. Generally, landmine victims survive (80%), but are left with severe disabilities.
The village of Veal Thom stands as a model of how the most desperate of people, with motivation and with sufficient support and training can move from the lowest depths of helplessness and poverty to succeed and take control of their lives and the organization of a mutually supportive community.
The village is composed of over 400 families, each with at least one disabled person. Members of the village fought on both sides of the war, but in Veal Thom politics are laid aside in favor of economic and social renewal.
The Poverty Alleviation through Community Empowerment (PACE) project (see Cambodia: Living with Landmines) has been successfully applied to the experience of Veal Thom.
Within only a two-year period, 177 persons were provided training with over 90% of these persons having initiated businesses that have enabled them to reach economic self-sufficiency for them and their families. Training encompassed 18 different occupations.
Now, four years later, everyone in the village who was in need of training, that is, over 400 amputees, have received it and the majority of trainees are now employed or running their own businesses.
As individuals in Veal Thom coordinated their new awareness about their vocational accomplishments, it became increasingly clear that what has evolved through WRF's efforts was a community who has learned to put abilities to work and achieved very productive outcomes.
Here we tell some of those individual stories.