Raising Children Near Minefields: Reth’s Story
Landmines and explosive remnants of war can affect communities in ways that are not always immediately visible. Long after conflict has ended, families may continue farming, raising livestock and sending their children to school in areas where hidden dangers remain. In Cambodia’s Battambang province, APOPO’s demining teams are working to clear contaminated land and help communities better understand the risks they face.
Reth, a 77-year-old rice farmer, has lived in Battambang since 2002. Although she farmed the area for many years, it was not until a cow was killed by a landmine and then her grandchildren unknowingly brought home an explosive item they had found in the bushes that she fully understood how close those dangers were. Today, APOPO’s teams are working in her community to make the land safer for families like hers. Read Reth’s story in her own words below.
My name is Reth, I am 77 years old and I live in Battambang province, where I have been farming rice for many years.
I was born in another village, but I moved here in 2002 with my husband and three of my children because I had nothing left in my hometown. I asked permission from a landowner to use the land for rice farming, and that is how I have been able to survive. My husband passed away two years ago. I have five children and now I live with my 13-year-old granddaughter, while my other children live nearby with their own families and support me when I need help.
I have about two hectares of land where I grow rice, which is still my main source of food and income.
When I was younger, during the war, I had never heard about landmines. As far as I knew there were none in my area. Even after I moved here in 2002, I continued farming as usual. People were working the land, growing rice and living normally, and I had no idea that the ground could be dangerous.
It was only in 2016 that I realized there were mines here. One day a cow stepped on a landmine and it exploded. That was the first time I understood that this land was not safe.
Later, something even more frightening happened. My grandchildren were taking the cows out to graze and they found an object in the bushes. They did not know it was dangerous and they brought it home.
When I saw it, I was very scared. I kept it in one place and called for someone to come and take it away. Later I understood it was an explosive item. Before that moment, none of us truly understood the danger.
After the explosion, people in the village talked about it a lot. Everyone was worried.
My grandchildren take care of the cows every morning before school. They bring them to the fields and tie them so they can eat grass, then come back home. In the afternoon they go to school, and in the evening their parents bring the cows back. Like all children, they sometimes play in the bushes, which has always worried me because we cannot be sure what is hidden in the ground.
I always tell them that if they see something strange they must not touch it, move it or burn it. They should leave it where it is and tell an adult because it is dangerous.
This year things began to change. In June, the demining teams from APOPO came to our area. They informed us before arriving and explained what they would be doing. When I saw the vehicles and equipment, I felt relieved and very happy because now I feel safer.
Before, my grandchildren had no choice but to go into the fields and bushes with the cows without knowing where the danger was. Now we know which areas are safe and which are not, and the teams have clearly explained where we can go and where we must not go.
All the villagers are happy they are here. The work is continuing around our homes and fields, and the path to school is safe. That is very important to me because all my grandchildren go to school, including the one who lives with me. I think it is very important for children to receive education about landmines because they live in these areas and need to understand the risks.
My hope is that one day all the landmines will be cleared so my children and grandchildren can move freely, farm safely and live without fear. I want my grandchildren to be able to take the cows into the fields and bushes without danger and grow up in a place where the land is no longer a threat.
