Mozambique Diary
July 6 - July 12, 2003
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On operations:
Namanda is a village in Ile District in Zambezia Province. An area of about 7.000 square meters is suspected mined. The minefield is behind three shops; Frelimo soldiers mined the area as a defensive measure from Renamo soldiers' sabotage of the shops. An accident has happened during the war when a boy stepped on an anti-personnel mine. It is a village with approximately 5.000 people, they want to re-open the shops and use the land for agriculture as well as the road that passes through the shops.
The life in general
My name's Safar Damiao da Costa, I'm twenty-five years old, I am not married but I have a child. My child is still too young to go to school, I will do everything for my child to have a very good education and become an engineer in the future. I did not studied a lot because my parents did not have enough money to my school fees, but I still have the hope of one day go back to school to carry on with my education.
I started working for The HALO Trust in February 15th 2002, it is my first job, so far I'm very happy with this job, I heard from the radio the HALO was looking for people to employ, then as soon as I could I organized all the papers they requesting and took their office.
Among alt of other candidates I was selected to the interview, I did very well and then came what I considered the hardest part of all, the training course, I worked as hard as could and I passed the course, then I became an HALO's employee.
When I found my first mine I confess I was afraid, but I did not entered in panic, I proceeded as I learned in the course everything went well. But now I am confident I can do job, during this week I found an ant-personnel mine M969.
As we entering the rain season, we do have sometimes stop working due the rain, when the rain stop we re-start working, I clear per day more a less than 30 meters, it depends a lot of ground we are working at.
I myself think the HALO should increase the leave period so we can spend more time with our family in town. Apart of that am happy with the money I earn I buy cloth for me and my child, I am saving for my child future.
Safar Damiao da Costa
(Deminer)
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