Aki Ra - portrait in the jungle

Aki Ra – Founder and Deminer

Aki Ra was a child soldier who fought for several armies in Cambodia during the 1970’s. During this time, he laid many landmines and witnessed the terrible damage they caused as a child solider. After the warring had ended he went back to clear many landmines on his own and establish his own trade.

In 2008, Aki Ra’s organization Cambodian Self Help Demining was formally registered as a demining NGO. Today, he works with other Khmers who like himself want to see their country safe from landmines.

Chhun Bora – Operation Manager

Bora has been a dedicated advocate for mine clearance for over twenty years. Growing up in Siem Reap province, he sought an education first in Phnom Penh, and then in Vietnam. Since then, Bora has worked with Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), Dincop International, Q Asia, and UXB in the field of quality assurance and control. As the EOD Supervisor and Training Manager at CSHD, Bora’s main responsibilities include training deminers on how to properly and safely search for and destroy landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs), as well as managing the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, a special group of deminers that respond to calls from communities that have sighted UXOs in their village.

Nget Savy

Dany moved from Kampoung Speu to Siem Reap in 2007 to pursue a degree in accounting and finance at Build Bright University. After graduating in 2010 Dany came to work at the CSHD office. She started off budgeting for the demining team and now has become the officer manager. She keeps in constant contact with both the demining and EOD teams while they are out in the field. Dany also holds mine education classes that help teach those living in more rural areas about the danger of landmines and what to do when they come across one. Dany hopes in 2016 to become EOD qualified so that she can become part of the Siem Reap based response team.

Demining Team
  • Ren Reak Sa – Field Officer
  • Vy Vanna – Medic
  • Chron Veasna – Deminer
  • Pon Peurt – Deminer
  • Eurn Sochet – Deminer
  • Pom Channy – Deminer
  • Vai Savuth – Deminer
  • Tha Makara – Deminer
  • Yu Veth – Deminer
  • Rith Kry – Deminer
  • Thon Say – Deminer
  • Son Vong – Deminer and EOD Expert
  • En Poy – Deminer
  • Ma Samat – Deminer
  • Morn Chork – Deminer
  • San Sara – Deminer
  • Kuy Serdy – Deminer
  • Sen Kosal – Deminer
  • Teum Royel – Security
  • Tom Phads – Security
  • Heam Thea – Field Cook