Finally the
programs launched by the government and the international community
of states for a rehabilitation of Angola have started to take
effect. The largest hindrance is the country’s severely
mined infrastructure. Still entire regions are cut off from
the world, still the whole country is infested with lethal mines
and explosive war waste. Everywhere, civil war refugees are
on their dangerous way home. MgM now has increased her capacities
enormously...
The wave of emergency
aid and charitable assistance to the victims of the Asian tsunami
disaster has again proved how powerful international solidarity
can be in rendering assistance to people who find themselves
in a catastrophic situation. The focus of all international
media on the event showed an enormously positive effect: Humanitarian
aid and assistance for reconstruction, amounting to billions
of dollars, have been pouring into the affected countries over
the past few weeks.
For the past eight
years, Air Namibia has been fulfilling a critical logistical
role in supporting the anti-landmine activities of MgM in Angola.
Recently six young explosives sniffer dogs flew from Great Britain
to Angola. Flight costs were generously donated. We use the
oportunity to thank the donors and to highlight both the challenging
logistical tasks and the work of our sniffer dogs in our humanitarian
operations…
Finally all is ready.
For years MgM has been planning a centre for basic and advanced
training for all areas of demining. Privat donations from Germany
have helped considerably to build it. Now the new compound is
finished and has been inaugurated. 50 new employees are passing
through the difficult MgM training program.
Young students in
Japan start their own micro-aid program.
A group of boys and girls at the American School in Japan, made
a decision: they want to support MgMs "Ways-to-school-free-of-mines"
program by adopting a sniffer dog. They very succesfully are
raising funds for a new young dog to be trained to find mines.
The dog doesn't know yet but his name will be Jasper. Follow
the story of a dog named Jasper: how it all begins…
MAXX PLUS: The next
step towards more safety and efficiency.
The development and implementation of robotics in mine and UXO
clearance, this is what our MAXX+ project is all about.
In 1999 MgM was
faced with the task of searching the garbage dump of an Angolan
city for mines. The problem was that none of the known demining
technologies could be applied here. Too dangerous. Innovative
ideas were called for. The birth of the MgM ROTAR…
As experts sent
by the German government P. Blagden and Vera Bohle visited the
operations of the German foundation ‚People against Landmines’.
Starting from the meanwhile considerably enlarged Central Camp
in Ondjiva, they evaluated the safety and quality standards
of MgM demining projects in the south of Angola…
•
Mine-sniffing dog donated:loving
animals and fellow men Instead of presents for a jubilee the birthday celebrant
asked for donations to MgM. This increased our dog team by one
hairy member...
On September 16th, 2003
an armoured MgM grader triggered an anti-tank mine. The
explosion of several kgs of explosives could be heard
in the entire region. The accident happened during a demining
operation on the road from Chiede to Malungo wa Shikongo
in the province of Cenene, South Angola. This operation
has been going on since March, mainly with the goal to
allow for urgent food transports by the World Food Program
(WFP) to the starving people in this region.
The anti-tank mines hit the MgM special vehicle under
the first of the two rear wheels on the right. Because
all safety distances to the other members of the team
were kept, there was no one injured among the escort team.
The incident happened a little more than a kilometre away
from the next village, nobody from the populated was harmed.
The MgM emergency surgeons were there immediately. The
site of the accident was cordoned off at once.
The entire surroundings were checked by the MgM
demining team. The driver of the armoured vehicle only
suffered from a short-term loss of hearing, no other injuries
were found. The armouring of the vehicle had been reinforced
only recently by order and under surveillance of MgM director
H.G. Kruessen.
It was not unknown that there were any mines in this part
of the road. The population had reported several mine
explosions in this section, which took the lives of one
boy and 4 cows.
The MgM grader which was unharmed, was repaired in the
repair shop of the central camp in Ondjiva and is now
back in operation..
Instead of presents for a jubilee the birthday celebrant
asked for donations to MgM. This increased our dog team
by one hairy member.
In place of expensive and
useless gifts: money to buy a MgM explosives sniffer dog.
This beautiful idea came into somebody's mind whilst preparing
his birthday party. Because everybody found this an exciting
idea a sum of 2000 Euros had been collected. "Dingo"
is the name of the new MgM four legged team member. Which
is currently under training for his first job.
The highly sensitive nose of our dogs plays a major role
in our demining operations - although there are some limitations
caused by the nature of the animals and climatic conditions.
A serious matter for us, a game for the dogs: the detection
of the typical TNT emissions of a landmine is rewarded
by a time off for a little play. The dogs just love it
when their handler invites them to play around with a
ball after they found and indicated a mine.
Apart from
detecting mines it is the important verification of non-mined
areas - the so called Mined Area Reduction - where dogs
are of great help.
We will report about Dingo here in the near future.
Many thanks for the unusual donation! back
