Posted on July, 31 2025

In the remote community forest of O’Kreang, nestled within Sambo Wildlife Sanctuary, red dirt roads weave through the dense, towering tree canopy. Far from the ranger stations, a quiet but powerful conservation effort is taking shape. Here, community members have risen to defend their forests against illegal logging and threats to wildlife. Among them is Sreyya, a community patrol member (CPM) and a woman whose disability has never defined her. Her dedication has redefined what it truly means to be a guardian of the forest.

Sreyya's journey into conservation began not with ambition, but with resilience. At the age of 13, she lost her left hand in a devastating accident while helping her mother at a brickmaking site.

"I wasn’t born disabled, but life changed overnight," she recalled. Forced to leave school and stay home, Sreyya's early adult years were spent tending pigs and selling groceries alongside her mother.
 

Read the rest of this story in celebration of World Ranger Day by downloading the PDF below in English or Khmer.