The 'Walk in Safety' project received wide acceptance across District 9780 and soon became an international Rotary project when it was linked with Rotary Clubs in the USA, initially through the Rotary Club of Seattle #4 in Washington State, and with the HALO Trust, the Non-Government Organisation responsible for the actual task of mine clearance.

A recent report provided by the HALO Trust shows that from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 funds raised by Rotarians from District 9780 and from across the USA were used to clear 18,926 square metres of minefield and destroy 152 anti-personnel landmines in villages in the Malai District of North-West Cambodia, the worst mine-affected area in the world. (See map below.)

In just six months, this work has directly benefited eight families (40 people) that are now actively using the cleared land for agriculture or to build their houses. A further 879 families or 6,022 people have benefited indirectly because now they can use the cleared land for access to their own plot of land or housing (see photos below).

In addition, pro-rata Rotary support has helped provide Mine Risk Education (MRE) to almost 16,000 individuals, including 3,988 men, 4,804 women, 3,562 boys and 3,540 girls. In February alone, 4,291 people received mine risk education. MRE involves HALO teams visiting schools or community centres to warn people, and particularly children, of the dangers of straying into minefields or tampering with unexploded ordnance.

Rotary funds have also purchased a Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS). This 'smart' mine detector combines an advanced metal detector and ground-penetrating radar, allowing the user to discriminate between metal debris (clutter) and metal that has associated mass (probable mines). This purchase can help speed the clearance process by up to 400 percent, and therefore achieve significant benefits more quickly and efficiently:
Farmers are able to sow and reap crops without risk of harm
Children are able to attend school in safety
The local economy is improved
People are free to travel throughout their own country
People are able to 'Walk in Safety'.

The HALO Trust / Rotary project has a budget of US$90,000 of which US$8,732.97 was provided by District 9780 in September 2008. Rotary Clubs who contributed financially to the project were Ballarat East, Camperdown, Colac, Geelong, Geelong East, Highton, Highton-Kardinia, Kerang, Terang, Torquay and Warrnambool, and the Rotaract Club of Ballarat South East. Several individuals also donated funds to the project. Contributions are still being received and will be forwarded to the HALO Trust in due course.

Rotary Clubs from across America that have now become involved are: the Rotary Club of Utica, New York State; Claremont-Sunrise, California; Smithtown, New York State; Pompton Lakes, New Jersey; West Seattle, Washington; New Canaan, Connecticut; and Oakland, California.

Australian and US funds raised have been matched one-for-one by a grant from the U.S. Department of State, thus bringing the total for the project to US$90,000. To 30 June 2009 only US$37,928.66 had been expended, so significant more mine clearance and mine risk education can be carried out by the HALO Trust in the next six months to December 2009.

It is exciting to see such a very diverse group of Rotarians supporting the de-mining project in Cambodia and to realise the difference it will make to the lives of the villagers. The influence of our project continues to grow, enabling the clearance of more land mines from more villages and the return of fertile land for much-needed agriculture in one of the poorest countries in Asia.