More than ‘the mines people’

HALO’s selection process assessed my physical and mental resilience – which were then truly tested by six months of tough training in the field. Absolutely everyone in HALO, from the Chief Executive down, starts in the same way: on their hands and knees, learning how to be a de-miner. It is challenging work, both mentally and physically, especially when, like me, you have no relevant experience. Passing the training was one of the proudest moments of my life.

There is the personal challenge of working in an austere environment, far from creature comforts, with limited communications and equally limited ways to let off steam or relax. You have to be very disciplined with yourself and find coping mechanisms, even if it’s as simple as planning to take the equipment to make yourself a cup of coffee in the mornings. Professionally, I was working across languages and cultures in Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Libya. HALO has a localised model, which means that we’re not parachuted in to remove the mines and then leave, but train local people to do the job themselves. So we’re working often through translators, communicating extremely robust safeguarding messages to people in communities that can be traumatized after conflict. I learnt the importance of being present; even if you can’t speak the language, you have to be there and you have to be seen to be there, supporting the de-miners. Finally, you have to learn patience. Organisations such as HALO often attract dynamic people, who want to move fast and have an immediate impact. But building relationships takes time, especially with a large number of ever-changing stakeholders.

Internally, you need to make sure that information is shared widely – no easy feat when you’re communicating to over 12,000 staff in the field and across time zones. Externally, it’s important that people understand the breadth of activities that we’re involved in. HALO works in some of the most climate and conflict affected regions in the world, where war and environmental degradation compound the suffering of vulnerable communities. Clearing landmines has been our core purpose since HALO was first established, but we do a great deal more besides, to help support recovery and build resilient communities. In Angola, for instance, we are clearing landmines in the Okavango Headwaters as part of a major conservation project to restore biodiversity and allow wildlife to return. In Somaliland, we are partnering to help communities return cleared land to productive use with a range of initiatives from rainwater capture to tree planting. Emergency response is another element of our work because we are operating in many of the world’s most fragile countries. This means we can act quickly when disaster strikes. For instance, when the earthquake shook Afghanistan in 2022, we deployed our teams within hours to support the injured and make access routes safe, so emergency aid could get through. Increasingly, HALO is operating at the nexus of conflict, stabilisation and climate emergency.