World

Angelina Jolie’s Cambodian Foundation Expands from Mine Clearance to Broad Community Conservation

By TOI Science Desk

The Maddox Foundation, founded by Angelina Jolie in 2003, began by clearing landmines in Cambodia’s most heavily mined areas. The work opened land for community use and infrastructure. By 2006 the foundation had opened a satellite office in Battambang and shifted focus to protecting the 60,994‑hectare Samlaut Multiple Uses Area. Local residents were recruited and trained as forest rangers, creating jobs and establishing a community‑based protection system against logging and poaching.

In 2009 the foundation built the Boeng Ron Health Center in a remote part of Samlaut village, later adding maternity and ophthalmic services. Outreach targeted young mothers and children under five, combining medical care with health and nutrition education.

In 2011 the foundation partnered with Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment, the Battambang Forestry Administration and local authorities to establish 11 community forestry schemes across four communes in Samlout.

A key milestone occurred in 2016 when the locally recruited rangers were formally recognised as government officials under the Ministry of Environment, integrating the ranger programme into the national conservation framework while maintaining the partnership with the Maddox Foundation.

In 2018 the foundation opened a permanent headquarters in Samlout, providing a base for field operations and a working centre for the ranger unit. That same year the foundation invested in education by building student dormitories at Samlaut High School, enabling students from remote villages to complete secondary education.

In 2019 the foundation launched a sustainable beekeeping programme, training local farmers—especially women—in beekeeping techniques to provide alternative income and reduce pesticide use.

By 2022 the foundation expanded into climate and landscape restoration. In partnership with the International Center for Environment Management, it strengthened reforestation efforts, established tree nurseries, and involved residents in protecting degraded landscapes.

Over two decades, the Maddox Foundation’s work in Cambodia has evolved into a model that links safety, conservation, healthcare, education and livelihoods, with local communities actively running and sustaining the programmes.