Mozambique Diary
February 22 - 28, 2004
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On Operations:
At Marrupa Barracks the suspected area is in front of the old army barracks in Marrupa district of Niassa Province. Existed on this place an old colonial barracks and later it turned to be a Frelimo and it’s believed that many items of UXO’s exist because in some cases they were used for some booby-traps.
Since our full clearance at the last weeks we had cleared about 1.978 m2, found and destroyed 200 SAA, 1x TMD-B, 4x 82mm, 1x RKG3-1, 3x Projectil, at this tasks we’re having problems concerning in heavy rain and high metal contaminations.
On Life in general:
My name is Jose Carlos da Silva, I’m 32 years old, I live with my wife and our little son, and he is about a year old only. We are Christian; I’m not member of any political party because I do not like politics.
Before joined HALO TRUST I was not working in any organization, my life was boring and very difficulty, I used to make some business to live but most of the time I had nothing to sell or sometimes people did not buy my goods, I consider I was a bit luck because I was not married by that time, I had no children to feed.
I started to work for The HALO Trust at 31st January 2001, I had the advertisement on the radio, at first I was scared because I new it was an organization that deal with mines, beside I head from a lot people about the danger of the mines, but as finding a job is not easy in Mozambique I went there to take the chance.
I was submitted a to demining course, I learned all techniques to deal with mines at first it was difficult to wake up very early and go to a training area to start with the training, but then I got used. I passed the training course then I started working a real minefield, I was not very afraid because I had already learned how to behave in minefield. The relationship with my colleagues are fine, the only thing that worries me is that my little son and my wife are long period away from me, I miss the, and sometimes it is difficult to send money to them.
Jose Carlos da Silva
(Deminer)
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