Focus on Canhengue Village, Eastern Angola
Story and photographs by Mark Naftalin
There are few places in Angola where the sense of deprivation and suffering is more apparent than in the village of Canhengue where, not only do the residents live in a constant state of poverty, but the village is located close to one of the largest minefields in the country - thought to total an approximate area of 5.4 million m/sq. Desperate for firewood and other vital supplies, residents frequently enter the area fully aware of the risks, but driven by the need for these basic resources.
 |
| Children perform during one of MAG's innovative MRE 'seminars' |
 |
| Antonio Abreu, resident of Canhengue, "Without MAG there would be more deaths." |
 |
| One of MAG's warning signs reminding residents that there are mines located beyond |
As one resident, thirty-six year old Antonio Abreu, commented, "We know there is a danger of entering the minefield, but we have no choice. It's the only place where we can find enough good wood to rebuild out houses and get fuel for our stoves." With this season's relentless rains, which have caused severe flooding throughout the country and an increase in cholera cases, residents continue to search for the basic means to survive. "The rains," Antonio says, looking up at the grey skies and waving frantically to his family, warning them of another impending downpour. "Destroy our roofs and we can't sleep at night. I have a wife and three children here and we need to go into the mined area to find wood and clean water."
MAG teams are working in the minefield around Canhengue, each member carefully crouched on all fours, manually excavating the site. This is a time-consuming process with teams checking every inch of the most affected areas. The clearance doesn't necessarily result in uncovering a huge number of mines, but the results and impact have been dramatic. In the first two months of 2007, MAG removed and destroyed 45 anti-personnel landmines and as Antonio explains, "It doesn't matter to me and my family how much is cleared, just so long as there are no mines in the area where the wood is."
As part of MAG's integrated approach, Community Liaison teams have erected warning signs, marking where the boundaries of cleared areas are located. These signs, as directed by International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), are less than 30 metres apart and prove a clear visual reminder to the villagers that there still could be mines located beyond. Community Liaison teams, along with local partners and demining teams, undertake vital Mine Risk Education, where children and adults alike get involved in MAG's innovative village 'seminars'. These include sessions with a local dancing group who act out how to react on discovering a potentially dangerous item. As Antonio's ten year old son says, with a broad smile on his face, "That was a really fun afternoon. Now me and my friends play in another area because we know where is safe and where we could get hurt."
There is little doubt that MAG is undertaking life-saving work in Eastern Angola. While there are still challenging tasks ahead, MAG continues to clear areas, like the sites around Canhengue, which are a direct threat to human security and development. Only by understanding the needs of communities is it possible to prioritise sites not based exclusively on the total area cleared, but also on the humanitarian impact such clearance has on Angola's poorest. Antonio concludes by saying, "I'd like to thank MAG for helping us by providing safe areas to collect wood and water. Without you there would be even more deaths and injuries. Without you we have nothing."
Teams funded by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
