11 Families Return to their Landmine-Cleared Land
Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, 14 January 2021 – PPCBank is delighted to hand back 2.4-hectares of land (equivalent to the size of two football fields) to 11 families in Siem Reap Province. This has been made possible thanks to our partnership with the APOPO Humanitarian Demining NGO.
With their 12 amazing “HeroRATs” and their 15 handlers, a total of one anti-vehicle mine, seven anti-personnel mines and nine other types of unexploded ordnance (UXO), such as grenades, rockets and mortar bombs were detected and safely removed from the area. The work marked a significant highlight for PPCBank in 2020 as we continue to support this life-changing project.
The handover ceremony has held on the land itself. It is located in Trapeang Krasang Village in the Sre Nui Commune of Siem Reap’s Varin District. With the handover complete, the 11 families can now resume their normal lives, safely farming cassava and rice, without the fear of landmines.
Mr. Net Proi’s family is one of those to be handed back their land. Several months ago, they were forced to relocate to the outside of town because of the life-threatening danger posed by the UXO. Mr. Net says he’s extremely thankful to the APOPO team and PPCBank for sponsoring the landmine-clearing operation. He says he’s excited that he can now generate an income from the land, without fear for his family’s lives.
Senior Vice President of PPCBank, Mr. Nhak Kimsroy, says seeing the bright smiles on the faces of the 11 families and the children made him appreciate how such a humble contribution was making such an enormous difference in people’s lives: “To achieve the goal of making Cambodia landmine-free by 2025, we still have a long way to go, but PPCBank is looking forward to continuing its support of APOPO’s life-saving mission.”
Commune chief, Mr. Heang Kong, says, “We’re very grateful for the kind support of PPCBank for the APOPO rats and their handlers. Your generous contribution will help safeguard the future of Cambodia. Our children will be safe when they walk to school, just like children in other parts of the country. This means a lot for us and we wish our donor great success in the
future.”
PPCBank is proud to play a part in making Cambodia safer for future generations. Considering all the troubles the world is experiencing at the moment, we are deeply grateful that this period of time will be well-remembered by the families we see returning to their land today. We also
hope our contribution will encourage other local companies to support APOPO as they work to clear the country of landmines. There is no overstating just how much of a positive impact the NGO is making.