GOAL: To create livelihood opportunities for survivors – usually amputees – of land mine explosions in Preah Vihear, a remote province controlled by the Khmer Rouge until 1999.

CONTEXT: An estimated 6 million unexploded land mines and unexploded ordnance remains in Cambodia, most designed to maim, not kill. As a result, many Cambodians are victims of land mine explosions and are missing limbs, which severely limits their employment prospects and ability to support their families.

In partnership with weaving expert Carol Cassidy of Lao Textiles (Vientiane, Laos), Weaves of Cambodia – with Village Focus International support – has become a successful business, managed by these victims of war. They weave fine Cambodian silk that is exported internationally to high-end consumers, and sold at exclusive retailers such as Barney’s in New York.

TARGET GROUP: Land mine survivors in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia.

OUTPUTS AND SUCCESSES

• Traditional Cambodian silk weaving is being successfully revived and internationally recognized after nearly disappearing during decades of war
• The partnership between Village Focus (a nonprofit) and Lao Textiles (a private business) allowed the innovation of a high-quality luxury product to effectively benefit a community group.

As a result:

• Land mine survivors are securely employed: WOC has over 50 staff
• In the last three years, Weaves of Cambodia has turned a deficit into high profits: 5000+ scarves are sold per year
• WOC has become a self-reliant local enterprise
• The profits have allowed the building of a community computer center.

Additionally:

• When VFC was selected for a private visit with Bill Clinton during his 1996 visit to Cambodia, the former US president was deeply impressed with the WOC project, and purchased several scarves for his family.