The fence around Toul Krous Primary School used to be all that protected the one hundred children and staff from the landmines that surrounded it.
Built on an army barracks, the children who attend the school are aged 6-14 years old and many of their parents are soldiers. Located just a few kilometres from the dense K5 minefield on the Thai Cambodia border the land was littered with mines and explosives, putting the pupils at serious risk of accidents.
For 13-year-old Sean Srey Oeun, the presence of the landmines meant school could be a scary place.
“I saw the landmines when my school built the front gate, they dug them up. I know that mines are dangerous and you can get hurt. Sometimes me and the other children go out and clean the playground area but I was frightened to do this after I saw that there were mines.”
Her friend Hong Sok Mara had also seen the mines:
“I knew there were mines in the area because someone had come to teach the community about it. I saw one once by the river, I told my teacher who told my village chief.”
For both the pupils and Li Chananh, the headteacher, the news that HALO were coming to clear the land made them very happy, as Sean Srey Oeun explains: “I knew that they were finding the mines and taken them away so I felt less afraid of stepping on one.”
Safe land means the children of Toul Krous now go to school without the fear of landmines, free to focus on their ambitions and dreams.
“My favourite lessons are Kmher language and writing. I want to learn a lot so I can get a good job and help my mother and family.”
Since HALO began work in Cambodia in 1991, thanks to your support, we have cleared dangerous landmines and explosives from 117 schools and over 3, 245,000m2 of land has been made safe to allow schools and playgrounds to be built.
All children deserve the right to go to school safely, to learn and reach their full potential. As schools return this week please help us to ensure this is the reality for every single child.
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