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| Katrina Doherty is off to Cambodia |
By Kirsty Cranitch
South-East Advertiser (Australia)
SOUTHSIDER Katrina Doherty is on a Cambodian hike to raise awareness of the continuing impact on the local population of unexploded landmines, cluster bombs and other remnants of the conflict.
Speaking to the Advertiser before she left for Community Challenge Cambodia, Ms Doherty said she was impressed with hike organiser Mines Advisory Group’s (MAG) work.
“The effects of war last a very long time and people forget about them,” Ms Doherty said.
“MAG trains staff, of whom 90 per cent are Cambodian nationals they are victims of bombs and land mines and have prosthetic limbs.
“They do the day-to-day work of clearing rockets, missiles and grenades and they’re not only trained in that dangerous task but also in community development.
“This is because large areas have been heavily mined throughout Cambodia so staff work with authorities to decide what are the most important areas to clear for schools, water access and farming land.”
On the challenge, Ms Doherty is spending two days trekking around the temples of the greater Angkor Wat region and then working on a community project to build traditional Cambodian houses for the poor and landmine victims.
She has raised $4500 for the hike.
She plans to spend the next year working in Timor off the coast of Darwin.
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