You can't help but be charmed by Sori.  He is one of the happiest kids I've ever met.  And he just loves posing for the camera.  

Sori is one of six children and comes from a poor family in the town of Samroang .  He was born without either of his lower arms, but has never been given a medical explanation as to why.

Sori has been told that before he was born, a close friend of the family was captured by the Khmer Rouge, had his arms tied behind his back and was executed.  When Sori was born years later they discovered at the time of delivery that his arms were tied behind his back with string, in the same way as the executed friend.  Sori’s mother took this as a sign of the dead and believed that Sori's missing forearms were caused by Sori himself.

The next day, Sori’s mother took him into the jungle and left him there.  Fortunately, Sori’s father confronted her, forcing her to confess what had happened and Sori was soon found.  Soon after this, Sori’s father took his own life, leaving Sori’s mother to look after the family.

In 2003 staff from CMAC were clearing mines from the area near where Sori lived.  At the time he was working in a field and not attending school.  CMAC told Sori’s mother that Aki Ra would give Sori a home and an education.  Sori came to the museum in late 2003.

Sori’s mother has since become very ill and when he can, Sori makes the one day journey in the back of a truck to visit her.  Sori’s mother loves him very much.

When asked about his future, Sori says with a big smile that he would like to teach children.  He enjoys football, school, ice cream and playing in the river.  Sori has a smile that is contagious and a cheeky sense of humour.

CHET - Born in 1985 (? I'm not sure if this is correct, I think he's actually about 16.)

I rather hesitantly gave Chet my camera one day and told him to "snap away".  I thought it would be interesting to get his perspective in the photos rather than mine for a change.  Not only did he love it, but he also took some great photos.  Chet acts all tough, but he's really a lovely kid.

Chet was born into a farming community and his accident happened when he was gathering rice one day for his grandfather.  His grandfather was so close at the time that he heard the explosion and came running.  Chet lost his leg.  He was ten years old.

Both Chet’s parents died soon after this, his mother through illness and his father to a landmine.  After his parent’s deaths, Chet ran away to Phnom Penh where he began a life on the streets, begging and shining shoes to survive.

When he couldn’t earn enough money for food, Chet turned to theft, which got him into trouble.  His friends on the streets also got him involved in sniffing toxic glue, a common pastime for Cambodian street kids.  

Chet met Aki Ra two years ago when he begged from him one day in the city.  Aki Ra took him to the Landmine Museum to give Chet a home and education.   Unfortunately, because Chet has lived so long on the streets he ran away back to Phnom Penh a few times while trying to settle down at the Land Mine Museum , but Chet always returns.

Chet has realized the importance of education and now goes to school.  He studies English and does his best to interact with visitors to the museum and volunteer teachers.

Chet is lively and likes nothing better than a good practical joke.  His nature is cheeky and he beats his disability with a hilarious sense of humour.  Chet has said he would love to do similar work as Aki Ra when he gets older.

BOREAK - Born 1993  

Boreak is a real livewire.  He loves to do rap and also loves boxing.

Boreak comes from Chon Kal and is the sixth of eight children (2boys, 6 girls).

Boreak’s father was a soldier with the Cambodian Army and had collected explosives and weapons which he took home with him.  When Boreak was eight years old, he was in his family’s yard trying to kill a chicken for dinner.  To kill the chicken he used the detonator from an unexploded bomb his father had collected.  As Boreak went to throw the detonator, he drew his hand back and in the process dislodged the safety pin, exploding the detonator in his hand.

The initial blast took off his fingers, hand bones and left some fragments of metal under his eyebrow which remain there to this day.  Boreak was taken to an army doctor who was inexperienced and had never operated before.  The doctor administered medicine to Boreak’s wound incorrectly which killed off the muscles in his hand.

After one day the doctor removed the hand and wrist, but again administered the same medicine on the wound.  A few weeks later Boreak’s arm was removed up to his elbow.  The second operation left some arm bone close to the skin and so a third operation was needed to correct this, removing more of the arm.

Boreak came to the museum in April 2004.  In the short time he has been here, he has come to call the museum home and Aki Ra and Hourt parents.  When he gets older, Boreak would like to be a doctor with a wife and two children.

Also, Boreak has become known to the other boys as the one who can talk the ears off an elephant!

The exhibition will be held at the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery from 1st of November for four weeks. 

Click here for Further information on land mines.