“My new job makes life better and protects my family from the risk of mines.”

Douen You, 56 years old, lives with his wife and seven children in the village of Stoeung Thmey, Veal Veng district, Pursat province.

The district of Veal Veng is situated in western Cambodia along the border with Thailand. It is highly contaminated with mines and other explosive remnants of war. For almost five years Douen You was engaged in high-risk behaviour.

“If I didn’t do it, how could I feed my children when they asked for food? My two older daughters and I went to the forest five days a week to collect resin, scrap metal and mushrooms. We would earn some 40,000 to 50,000 riels ($10-12.50) a week by selling them and use the money to buy food and medicines for my wife and smaller children at home. I have a small piece of land to farm but because of the frequent droughts and occasional floods it rarely produces much.”

Douen You was identified by Red Cross volunteers as a suitable loan beneficiary. He received a 12-month interest-free loan to buy a pump that he uses to draw water from a river near his home. This allows him to irrigate the peanuts, corn and other crops he has planted. He has already earned 1,200,000 riels ($300) in the last three months selling his crops. Understandably, he and his family are upbeat about the future. His wife says she is very happy: “I no longer worry about my husband and daughters because they work in a safe area now.”