Miss Ren Thana from a worker to a giant gold mine driver in Kiri district!!!!

The shrill sound of giant truck engines and dust billowing in the premises of the Or Kwai gold mine in Kew Sima district is a world far from sewing machines.

But for Miss Ren Thana, 27, the transition from a garment factory worker to a giant truck carrying nearly 100 tons of coal is a journey of courage, determination, and opportunity.

Three years ago, Miss Ren Thana made an unexpected career change, moving away from the habit of repeatedly sewing on fabric to steering a giant truck in a pit hundreds of meters deep in the province of Mon Kiri.

Today, she is one of more than 20 female drivers, out of 12 cars and 3 medium vehicles, who operate a huge fleet of vehicles at Cambodia's only large gold mining site operated by Renaissance Minerals Cambodia, a subsidiary of Australian-listed Emerald Resources.

Miss Thana said, standing beside a giant car whose wheels are almost twice the height of Miss: "At first, it was scary, but now, it feels natural.

Thana's journey began with a simple but energetic, stable, and safe incentive for mining companies to provide rigorous training, better salaries, and structured work schedules.

Ms. Thana learned to drive under strict supervision, first at a driving school, and then with hands-on training at the company and a practical assistant.

I started learning outside before joining the company and the instructors were patient with us.

Every morning, young Thana wears an orange safety suit and boots, climbs into the spacious and tall cabin of the car, and begins the task of carrying ore up and down the gold mine pit, which is currently more than 200 meters deep and cross-sectional over 600 meters.

Although there are less favorable conditions for women who have to be under the heat of the day, thick dust and work shifts that take up to 28 days before returning to rest for 14 consecutive days.

She explains: "However, it has a capacity of up to 95 tons, normal smooth steering, and it only has a lot of automatic technology, which has speed limiting."

Miss Thana's struggle reflects a broader shift in the mining industry, where women are holding an increasingly traditional male-dominated role.

In the O Kwai area, female drivers outnumber men, showing that gender is not an obstacle to holding heavy machinery.

This work has changed my life, and I hope that more women realize that they can do it too."

Since its first gold discharge in 2021, the O Kwaw Gold Mine Project has made a significant contribution to the local economy, producing about 3 tons of gold per year.

The mine pit is currently 600 meters long and 210 meters deep, while excavation continues until it is 800 meters long and 415 meters deep.