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Mozambique Diary
August 3 - August 9, 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 is Arlindo Gaspar, I'm single I was born on 20th January 1980 in Nampula Province, I started my primary school in my home town, I studied till standard five then I went to Nampula town to carry on with my further studies, in Nampula I studied in a school called Escola Secundaria 12 de Outubro.
I would like very much to continue with my studies but due lack of money I had quit school and look for job, to find a job in Mozambique is one of the most difficulty thing, I stayed long time unemployed, then one day I got a job as assistant mechanic in company in Nampula, I learned a lot about vehicles, I can now fix then and I like this job very much unfortunately I had to give up this job to be a Deminer because being a Deminer I receive more than being a mechanic.
Besides working with the HALO Trust I very good because we travel a lot within a Province and to onother Provinces where HALO Trust is operating, I myself thanks to the HALO knew a lot of districts of Nampula, Pemba and Zambezia, we do work in the bush but sometimes there tasks that are in the village or along the road etc.
My father left me and my mother when I was much younger, that's one of the reason I had to quit school and look for a job, with the little money I received as assistant mechanic I helped my mother, now when I am away in the field my girl friend stays with my mother helping her, my father still does not care about us.
I am now saving the money I earn in the HALO Trust to build a house and get married in the future, I want to have many children and give then very good education so in the future they can help me when I am very old.
During this week the job was really fine since we came from holidays, we had a small rain but it did not make us stop working for long time.
I always pray to God help me and my country, so its free from mines, thanks for interviewing me this time.
Arlindo Gaspar
(Deminer)
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