Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD)
Aki Ra, a Khmer man and former child soldier, began clearing landmines on his own in the 1990s — working with nothing more than a stick and a pair of pliers, disarming mines one at a time. In 2007, a group came together when Aki Ra asked how to form a registered demining NGO. Working with Aki Ra and his wife, Hourt, the group included the Landmine Relief Fund from the United States and members of the Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team from Australia. Over 2 years, they sent Aki Ra to the UK for formal training in demining and EOD, certifying him to International Mine Action Standards. They also raised the money to field the first team. In 2009, the Landmine Relief Fund secured their first grant from the USDS.
In 2023, Aki Ra retired from CSHD to focus on running the Cambodian Landmine Museum. In 2026, he founded a new demining team headquartered at the museum. CSHD and the museum’s team now operate independently of one another, each continuing the clearance work Aki Ra began decades ago.
Today, CSHD is funded by people around the world who want to see the horror of landmines and unexploded ordnance gone from Cambodia for good.
CSHD works in rural villages throughout the Kingdom of Cambodia with a team of 40 personnel. Our field teams work 25 days a month, putting their lives on the line to make their country safer.
Today, the CSHD team has cleared more than 300 minefields and over 11,000,000 square meters of land.
Why CSHD, when larger demining groups exist?
Cambodia has roughly seven established demining organizations, and CSHD is proud to be one of them. Larger groups can’t be everywhere — CSHD’s focus on smaller, often-overlooked minefields in rural areas means we reach communities that might otherwise wait years for clearance. That work makes life safer for thousands of people every day.
Demining is costly work for every group in Cambodia. Each requires specialized training, protective gear, technical equipment, and an on-call ambulance for every mission. We rely entirely on donations to keep our teams in the field.
With your support, CSHD is working to make Cambodia safer for its people — and for its future.
Support CSHD today. Make a difference.
CSHD’s operations manuals — covering our financial, human resources, and logistics guidelines, along with our Standard Operating Procedures — are available upon request.