MINE ACTION ANGOLA – JOÃO
A landmine was found buried hardly 20 meters from where the school children play.
The military camp was very close to the school and after the war we had to be very careful with the children. The minefield was strictly off limits but children play and when your back is turned they do silly things. Often they would kick a football into the minefield and if we weren’t around, they would nominate one of them to go into the undergrowth and retrieve it.
For the last 15 years they have been doing this and when NPA and APOPO came to clear the landmines, they addressed the area near the school first, so that the children could be safe. They very quickly found a landmine 20 meters away.
Even now, after NPA and APOPO are finished, we can’t help be suspicious and we report it when we find strange metal objects. But soon we are going to build a football field so the children can experience freedom.