·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº

Although conflicts end, landmines laid during years of fighting will continue to kill and maim innocent civilians. True peace does not arrive until the landmines are gone for good.

Zimbabwe is home to some of the densest minefields in the world. It’s estimated that up 5,500 mines were laid per kilometre during the Liberation War of the 1970s – in an attempt to counter the flow of freedom fighters across the borders with Zambia and Mozambique.

In the years since the fighting ended, the desperate search for land has led families to settle and build their homes right alongside the minefields – often with deadly consequences.

Over 1,500 people have lost their lives or been injured by landmines

Ordinary life is filled with risk. Every day hundreds of children make the dangerous trek through the minefields to reach school, farmers are stopped from expanding their crops and valuable livestock are lost to mine accidents at an unprecedented level – decimating the precarious existence of rural communities.

Life for thousands of families is transformed

·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº's deminers have been working across the Mt. Darwin and Rushinga Districts in the north of the country since 2013. Painstakingly they search the land metre by metre to ensure all the mines are located and destroyed.

In the last two years alone, they have made 49.5km of land safe, and at a handover ceremony today this land is being returned to the community, benefitting more than 27,000 people. Once the land is returned families can start using it to grow crops, herd livestock, build homes and access vital resources, such as clean water, safely.

A father and son stand near sticks and rocks used to mark safe land

"We couldn't even count how many goats and cattle the village lost" said Tashinga Chavhunga, father to one-year-old Wayne, but good land is short and families had to move closer and closer to the minefields."

Sadzuri Kamoyo sits on a wall with her two sons

"Living so close to the mines is very stressful, particularly as I have kids. I know the risks of entering the minefield" she said.

"There have been two human accidents in this area that I remember."

UK aid saves lives

Giles Enticknap MBE, Charge d'Affaires, British Embassy Harare, said:

"Landmines continue to present indiscriminate dangers in Zimbabwe. I’m thrilled to be here today to see what our UK aid support, in partnership with other donors, has contributed towards.

"The removal of over 70,000 mines across 49.5km – 23 km in Mt Darwin and 26.5km here in Rushinga – making it safer for children to get to school, enabling families to grow food and graze livestock and giving communities a chance to thrive is a huge achievement, one that the UK is proud to be a part of."

The Chavhunga family stand together in their village in Zimbabwe

"We are happy because we know that soon we will be able to walk freely all the way from our home to our fields and the children will have a safe route to schoo"l, said Tashinga Chavhunga.

Sadzuri Kamoyo sits on a wall with her two sons

"We will be able to expand our plot by another hectare or two so we can grow a cash crop. With one more hectare we can make around $200 per harvest, which would allow us to buy domestic products, and pay for school fees much more easily", she said.

Creating opportunities

Making land safe is just part of the story.

·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº employs and trains local men and women to clear the landmines – often working on minefields that directly threaten their own communities. By creating jobs where opportunities are scarce, people like Noel, Section Commander for ·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº in Chisecha, have the chance to help themselves, their family and become change-makers in their own communities.

Noel has been able to build a secure home for his family thanks to his job with ·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº, but he hasn’t stopped there. He believes it is his duty to share his good fortune with the whole village and is developing an Early Childhood Centre where orphaned and disadvantaged children can receive an education.

Two ·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº deminers wear PPE and visors whilst using a detector in Zimbabwe

"·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº is doing a lot of good for a lot of people. My job also means that money is spread through my community."

75,000 landmines cleared by ·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº in Zimbabwe

Since we began work in in 2013, our dedicated teams of Zimbabwean deminers have worked tirelessly to clear the landmines that endanger lives and livelihoods.

This week we reached a major milestone – 75,000 landmines cleared – making safe almost half the land on the affected northern border area. This is landmine clearance on a vast scale – in 2017 ·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº Zimbabwe alone cleared 9% of all landmines destroyed globally.

Bonface Chinaka, a ·¬ÇÑÓ°Ôº deminer from Zimbabwe, sits in his PPE

"Yesterday I was happy because I cleared 18 mines in one day. I had no idea I was going to destroy the 75,000 landmine but now I am extra happy!" he said.

This work would not have been possible without the assistance of the Zimbabwe Mine Action Centre and the generous support of our donors, including: The UK Department for International Development, US Department of State, The Government of Japan, Irish Aid, OAK Foundation, World Without Mines, The Julia Burke Foundation and Actiefonds Mijinen Ruimen.