CARE International – Mine Clearance Project, Angola

Although the 1994 peace accords formally brought Angola's 20-year-long civil war to a close, millions of people still could not resume normal lives due to the millions of landmines and other explosive devices hidden throughout the country. Between 1993 and 1998, hundreds of thousands of Angolans were killed or maimed by landmines. Most at risk were children engaged in chores or play, and women who gathered essentials such as wood and water. Although agriculture was the basis of Angola's economy, and its revival was key to realising hopes for development and self-sufficiency, most people displaced by the war were hesitant to return to their homes due to the fear that their farms may have been mined.

CARE International's Mine Clearance Project aimed to allow the men, women and children in the Central Plateau area of Angola to use their land, roads, schools and water systems in safety by removing the threat of landmines. In 1999, TRAID donated £39,658 to the project. TRAID's donation allowed for CARE, in partnership with Greenfields Consultants, to train local people to make up a Mine Action Team. The Mine Action Teams were responsible for educating Angolan women and children how to identify a mined area, what to do when they encounter one, and how to safely withdraw and to report the position of these devises to the de-mining teams for clearance. Mine Action Teams also worked to survey, mark, de-mine and clear landmines and other explosive devises. These activities allowed farmland to be cleared for food production, children to go to school safely, and families to access healthcare and clean water facilities without fear. Five thousand people benefited from this work.

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