Zimbabwe
“If these women can do it, why not me?” the women clearing Zimbabwe’s landmines
Melisa, a 22-year-old deminer, also from the Mudzi area, prepares for the day’s careful work. Each morning as the sun rises over the Baobab trees, she and her colleagues pull on their various layers of PPE (personal protective equipment): a heavy vest, helmet, visor, shin guards, thick gloves and boots, all designed to help them carry out their work safely. In the weaker winter light, the heavy kit feels less oppressive, although as Melisa reminds us, that’s not always the case.
“Sometimes the work is so hot, but I'm just happy to save lives”
Starting each morning as soon as it is light enough to do so, sometimes as early as 6am, she begins gently scouring the land with her detector until she finds a signal: meaning a landmine or other metal object is in the ground, possible inches beneath her feet. Then, she places down a red triangle to show a positive signal has been found, and painstakingly scrapes away the earth around it, starting about six inches away for safety, until the item is uncovered. As climate change impacts the country, increasing the number of droughts and making the already-arid land even harder, the teams now need extra water in order to soften the ground enough to excavate. Carrying in the heavy pitchers makes this process more strenuous, and even slower, and as temperatures soar in the summer months, sometimes it’s too hot to work at all.
A sharp whistle sounds, signalling the first morning’s break for the team. Tea and a small snack before the meticulous work continues until noon. Before they finish their shift, the team safely destroys all of the items found that day; the dull sound of explosions rippling in the air as the deminers return to camp.
Until that time, the daily mission to return safe land back to the community here continues.
Tarisai, who has been a deminer for two years, explains more:
“Landmines have really affected this area along the border. People in this area don’t have access to Mozambique to do business. Their cattle have been involved in accidents, and so have some people. Land has been disturbed and people can’t farm. Now that there is access to cleared areas, local people here are very happy.”
Not only do the women see the difference their work has at the community level, but also individually. The job brings in a steady, regular salary, higher than the average in the area. In the current economic climate and prolonged drought crisis in Zimbabwe, this can be a lifeline for families.
Tarisai continues, “at first my family were doubting, they didn’t feel like I could do it. Now, they are very proud of me. They depend on me. I am providing food for the table.”
Many of the women echo this sentiment: the best thing is saving lives, but after that - being employed and having their own financial freedom.
After darkness falls, the sound of crickets and an occasional snore is all you can hear in the camp. Solar lighting, and a sky full of stars, light the way for any night-time visit to the latrines. 85 deminers, medics, team leaders, drivers, cooks and cleaners call this place home for three weeks at a time, before a weeklong break.
They all live on site in the camp during work periods due to the intense schedule and early starts, returning to their families for respite in between.
For many of the women, the sacrifice it takes to balance their careers as deminers and their family lives is evident.
Paidamoyo, who is a Team Leader, showed us round the area her team is currently working in; safety pickets lined up behind her like matchsticks. She was recently promoted after 18 months as a deminer, now wearing a lighter coloured uniform to signify her rank, and with her tent in the ‘senior leadership’ area of camp. She leads her team and in the event of emergency, will take control of a situation.
As she speaks, you can see she is visibly proud of her work and the way she is able to provide for her family and her community. She shows other women that they too can rise up to more senior positions, in roles which had for a long time been perceived as “a man’s job”.
She heads back to check up on her team’s progress, Zimbabwe’s autumnal vegetation crunching underfoot.
MAG’s all-female team talk about being a family; living, working and eating together during their stints in the camp. Each month, with work that requires a combination of stamina and intense concentration, they are making new swathes of land across the area safe.
One day, the hope is that all of this land will be declared ‘mine free’. Yet even if the need for mine action in the country trickles to nothing, it is clear that the determination these women feel will not.
Whether it’s representing their country in demining missions around the world or upskilling from an ambulance driver to a qualified medic, their dreams are big ones.
