“I no longer go to the forest."
Koa Nara, 49 years old, is a farmer who lives with his four children in the village of Anlong Pourk, Samlot district, Battambang province. He was a soldier from 1979 to 1999. After leaving the military he decided to settle down with his family in Anlong Pourk. Since the area was once a battlefield, it is littered with mines and other unexploded munitions. Koa used to go to the forest regularly to collect mushrooms, wood and resin, which he would sell afterwards.

“Of course I knew it was dangerous to go to the forest, but I had no choice. I had to provide food for my family. I was so afraid every time I went there. I would pray before going that nothing would happen to me and that I would return home safely. I was trained to deal with mines when I was soldier, so I know how dangerous they are.”

Koa’s wife was a Red Cross volunteer who died a year ago from a wound infection caused by a mine explosion. “She was injured behind our house. She stepped on a mine while working in the garden.”

In June last year Koa received an interest-free loan of $200 to buy four pigs (one adult female and three smaller males) and food and medicine for the animals. “I had some previous experience with raising pigs and knew how important it is to have a sow. She has already given birth twice. In the first litter she produced eight piglets, in the second 10. I managed to sell 13 piglets. I paid back the loan to the Cambodian Red Cross and still have five piglets and the same sow at home. This is much better than going to the forest. My sow will very soon breed again and I will be able to save some money to improve our farm. I no longer go to the forest because I have a lot of work to do at home.”