What difference can one person make?

A few weeks ago, I was overwhelmed with the urge that I needed to start changing things, but I didn't know where to begin and I had that futile feeling I was one person in a sea of many, trying to swim upstream. (Here if interested, but not necessary to read for this post).

While I was away, I learnt the lesson of what a difference one person can make. I will be covering the huge broader issues of this topic later but for now, I am just looking this story for the point of one person can make a difference, and I apologise if the cursory storytelling seems insensitive.

Aki Ra was a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge, as a teen he changed sides and fought with the Vietnamese troops against them. In those years he learnt a lot about landmines.

Cambodia today, is covered in over 5,000,000 landmines, and the same again in UXO (unexploded ordinance). After years of fighting, Aki Ra started returning to the villages where he'd laid mines, and began ridding the land of them. Initially on his own, with his wife and uncle, and with his home made tools.

One person out of every 290 in Cambodia will be a victim to landmines or UXO. In the villages, there were many child victims of the mines, who were living a poor and desperate existence. So Aki Ra and his wife started to take them home to care for them too.

They opened a little museum in their home to raise money for the work and care they were doing. This has grown, evolving into the current facility, The Cambodian Landmine Museum and School. The school now houses over 3 dozen children, not just landmine victims but those with physical, emotional and family difficulties.

Aki Ra started an NGO (non government organisation), Cambodian Self Help Demining and his team grew. Aki Ra has personally removed 50, 000 land mines. In 2006 he was told his way was too dangerous by the UN, so he stopped. However, a year later he was retraining in the UN safety approved methods and continues his work today.

The CSHD removes land mines from 'low priority' villages, making it safe for those not represented by the big organisations.

I tell this story because one person can make a difference. He just started doing it. Over time, it grew into not one but two organisations that help many, many people. Both the orphanage and the work clearing the landmines has changed thousands of lives for the better.

So if you are unhappy with choices our government is making, do something about it.
If you are unhappy with the issues of climate change, do something about it.
If you are unhappy with inequality anywhere in the world, do something about it.

We can make a difference, we don't need a grand plan, we just need to start doing it.
Even a small axe can fell a big tree if it is sharp enough.

If you are interested on reading more or donating, these are useful links.
Cambodian Self Help Demining
Cambodian Land Mine Museum and School
The Australian Project
Vietnam Veterans Mine Clearing Team

Linking up with #Blogtober I am grateful there are people out there making a difference. I am picking up a donation today from a stranger off FB to give to the Women's Refuge. She asked me what my connection was with them and I had to say nothing - I just wanted to start making a difference somehow. It's small, but it hopefully helps someone.