New mines are still being laid every week, in several continents. They take only minutes to put in place, but the work of removing them can go on for decades after a conflict has ended. Every square metre of soil has to be meticulously cleared, often by prodding it between 600 and 800 times. But the task must and will continue. No matter how hard we work to restore order once a conflict has ended, there are always further casualties.
Refugees return and try to rebuild their lives on land riddled with mines.
The threat posed by mines remains for decades as innocent men, women and children go about their daily business. It is a tragedy for them, and a serious obstacle to their country's development. That is why initiatives like yours are so important. You have helped turn what used to be a killing field into a fruitful enterprise. You have helped give back a livelihood to a community that had seen it taken away.