Humanitarian Mine Clearance

Cambodia is one of most heavily contaminated countries in the world with landmines, cluster munitions and other unexploded weapons. As a result of the conflict between the Khmer Rouge, the Government of Cambodia and other factions, they affect all of the country's 25 provinces. The Digger Foundation developed a demining machine for the NGO Mines Advisory Group (MAG), which is based out of Manchester. The machine has been used in Cambodia for 25 years and is typically used for technical surveys. The beneficiaries of this project are rural communities who are largely dependent on subsistence agriculture and on harvesting products from the forest. MAG is focusing its work in the eastern provinces. There, the increasing demand for land, which goes hand-in-hand with recent economic development, is forcing poor rural populations to farm marginal land where the presence of mines is suspected, and even proven.

In May 2022, Fairpicture visual creator Saobora Narin travelled to the Battambang province and interviewed people and families whose livelihoods were affected by the demining work completed by the Digger Foundation and MAG. 

Besides written testimonial interviews and photographs, Saobora’s outstanding work is reflected in a mini-documentary, in which he tells the story of the situation before, during and after the Digger investment – in only 6 minutes.