Displaying items by tag: sapadora

People are still dying or being maimed by one of the millions of landmines or unexploded ordnance left from the war that ended 20+ years ago. ‘I don't want my daughter to be the next landmine victim’, said Helena from eastern Angola. The 25-year-old mother has joined the ‘sapadora’ - Angolan women risking their lives daily to clear the scourge of leftover landmines. A national survey by the Angolan government in 2014 found that about 88,000 people were living with injuries caused by landmines. Organisations like the International Campaign to Ban Landmines say the true toll may be higher still, as there is no on-going official monitoring of casualties. Everyone in Angola knows someone who is injured. 7,300 hectares still need clearing. ‘We need to stop this cycle for the good of our people and our nation’, said Helena.