Humans of APOPO: Natalia’s Journey from Beauty to Demining
At APOPO, our mission thrives because of the people who dedicate their lives to making land safe again. Natalia, from Mykolaiv, Ukraine, travelled from her homeland to Cambodia to train as a mine detection dog handler with APOPO. Back home, vast areas of farmland and forests remain contaminated with landmines, threatening both livelihoods and everyday activities like fishing or gathering firewood. For Natalia, the danger is not abstract as her children and grandchildren live in a region surrounded by mines.
Though her professional background was in the beauty industry, Natalia felt a powerful calling to join APOPO’s work. With no prior experience beyond caring for pet dogs, she embraced the challenge of working with highly trained mine detection dogs. The training was tough, with long days under Cambodia’s intense heat, but Natalia describes her time with the dogs as a kind of paradise. She quickly discovered the deep bond and trust that forms between handler and dog, calling them “our weapon against the weapon.”
For Natalia, this work is more than a job, it is a mission to help her community and countless others affected by landmines. Read on to hear Natalia’s story in her own words:
“My name is Natalia, I am 44 years old, and I come from Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Back home, large areas of land are contaminated with mines, especially the agricultural fields where corn and sunflowers grow. This affects not only farming but also the daily lives of people who go into the forests or fishing areas. It can be incredibly dangerous. I don’t personally know anyone who has been injured by a mine, but I have heard of many accidents in my region.
I first learned about APOPO from people working with MAG (Mines Advisory Group), and I was immediately interested. I went to Cambodia to train as a mine detection dog handler. The weather there is very tough, it’s extremely hot, but when I was working with the dogs, I felt like I was in paradise.
Before going to Cambodia, I had never worked with dogs professionally. My experience was only with pet dogs, as my background is in the beauty industry. My family has always supported my decisions.
Despite the challenges, I love this job. Even after a long, exhausting day covered in dust, sweat, and smelling like a dog, I feel truly happy. Every day I work with the dogs, I grow more excited about what we are doing. I remember the first time we did an exercise with the brick wall. It was amazing. Working and training in the field is equally rewarding. The dogs are incredibly smart, and I am never surprised by their accuracy because I have always known how powerful their sense of smell is. Their noses are millions of times better than ours, and we are using that ability as a tool against landmines.
I am not worried about working in minefields. My home is surrounded by contaminated land, and my children and grandchildren live there. The danger has always been part of our reality. That’s why I believe in this work so strongly. I see the dogs as an incredible asset in demining. The whole team — handlers, team leaders, and deminers — plays a vital role, but the dogs are truly our ‘weapon against the weapon.’ They allow us to fight back against this problem in a way that is efficient and safe.
One of the biggest challenges is learning to connect with the dog, which is essential for this job. But I already feel like we are becoming one. This journey has been tough, but every single day it becomes more rewarding, and I couldn’t be happier to be part of it.”
