Mozambique Diary
March 11 - 16, 2002
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On operations:
This week was very tiring because of the rain, we had to stop operations several times within the minefield because of it. On other hand, there was little obstruction to our excavation because the ground was soft and thus every day was running very good. I’m very happy with my team because we help each other and we like each other, we are friends. If there is a problem we sort it out ourselves.
I’m a new deminer and joined HALO on the first of November 2001. I have gained a lot of experience through my team and we have been finding many mines, like pebbles in a stream. My first week though, I didn’t find any mines and thought that I was unlucky, although to be honest I was scared of finding a mine. When I found first the mine however, the fear went and now I want to find mines everyday and if I do not find, I am not happy.
In field we live as we live in the town; this is because we have all the right conditions. At night we listen to news and music from the radio that HALO bought for us. Those incentives are relevant for us, like thhe football they have bought for us, which we play with at the weekend. I love football, but Mozambique does not have a good football team.
The life in general
I am 26 years old and I was born in Nampula province. I have got 7 kids, but all of them they are girls. How can this be I ask myself. This is bad luck for me and I think the reason is because that when I took my wife to my house, I did not make a prayer as her mother had asked, according to our culture. She now thinks that I am a burglar because I did not follow the culture. I think my mother in law has done some African magic for me not to have a male kid. I am very sad, but anyway, I love my daughters.
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| This is a picture of some of the mines that we have been finding. These have been disarmed by the boss |
Fernando Geronimo
(Deminer)
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