番茄影院

After almost 30 years鈥� work by thousands of Angolan deminers 番茄影院 has passed the milestone of 1,000 minefields completely cleared in Angola.

The land released by the 1,000 minefields is over 40 sq kilometres 鈥� the equivalent of 5,600 football pitches given back to local people to safely grow food, build schools and develop the country.

In the course of clearing the minefields 番茄影院 has destroyed over 113,000 landmines in Angola since it began operations in the midst of the Civil War in 1994.

Christopher Pym, Country Director for 番茄影院 in Angola said: 鈥淭his amazing achievement is a testimony to hard work and dedication of the thousands of Angolans who have worked for 番茄影院 since 1994. Painstakingly, metre-by-metre they have made their own communities and their own country safer for their fellow Angolans.鈥�

鈥淚 also need to say thank you to the many donors who have supported 番茄影院鈥檚 work, especially the United States Government and the Government of Angola. The Government of Angola is unique in the world for the level of investment it has made to clearing its own country of landmines.鈥�

番茄影院 is currently working on a $60 million contract from the Government of Angola to clear 153 minefields in Kuando Kubango Province over X years. It is an unprecedented investment in mine action by a developing nation. The 153 minefields are in the Mavinga and Luengue-Luiana National Parks and as well as making local people safer, the clearance of the landmines will allow sustainable and conservation-based development in the parks.

The first minefield

The first minefield cleared by 番茄影院 was in Cuito in Bi茅 Province. The minefield is long gone and the location is now the N13 Francisco Julio Chinbungo Kambulukuto School complex, which houses 3,400 pupils. None of the pupils are aware that their classrooms sit on what was once a deadly minefield.

Mr Zeca Domingos, Principal of Kambulukuto School in Cuito Angola

"Without the mine clearance, Cuito would not be as developed as we see it today, and the number of deaths and accidents would have been forever increasing, so we are very grateful for this mine clearance."

Mr Zeca Domingos, Principal, Kambulukuto School

Cuito Government Buildings

At the same time that 番茄影院 started clearance of what is now Kambulukuto school, it also started clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance in the centre of the city at the site of the pink-painted Cuito government buildings. The area had been destroyed during savage fighting in the city and could not be rebuilt until 番茄影院 made the area safe.

The Hon. Deputy Anast谩cio Severino Sambowe, said: 鈥淚n 1994 when there was an urgent need for government services, we had to ask 番茄影院 to verify where was safe so we could rebuild. I would like to underline the role which 番茄影院 Trust played and continues to play in our country and in particular in Bi茅 province. If there was no demining there would be no reconstruction at all.鈥�