Communiqué

The Humpty Dumpty Institute

Monthly Communiqué from Sri Lanka

September 2007

During the month of September 2007, the HALO Trust HDI demining sections cleared a total of 12,395 square meters and uncovered 20 landmines. Since January 2007, a total of 83,181 square meters and 401 mines have been cleared under this HDI project. There were a total of 17 HDI demining sections during the month of September.

Clearance of Manduvil North was completed in mid-September. Demonstrating the point of the project, local farmers were ploughing the land for planting two weeks after this clearance was completed. The main section of Pandattarippu 3 was handed back to the local community. Demining in Neervely South was also completed in September. This land had not been farmed for 10 years. And, as it is situated directly across the road from a school, locals and school children can now use the area without fear of mines.

The large Sarasalai minefield has also been entirely cleared and HALO has started clearing four new minefields, three at Post Office Road and one at Motherekerny Neervely. The Post Office Road minefields were laid by both sides of the conflict in 2000/01 and over the past several years local villagers themselves tried to remove landmines around their homes and in their fields. Large numbers of unexploded ordnance and landmines are expected to be found as HALO begins its work in this area.

In September, the Land O'Lakes (LOL) team made good progress as it selected its first batch of 363 farmers in 32 cluster areas. Extension Officers continued both classroom and field training. Fifteen cluster trainings for 150 farmers were completed in September as well as initial situational assessments with livestock cooperative societies. LOL also helped to restart the pasteurization plant at the Jaffna Dairy Development Cooperative Society. Additional work started on procuring feed materials and packaging requirements from Colombo. Topping off a very busy month, LOL also signed an agreement with the faculty of business of the University of Jaffna to conduct a market and consumer study.

MEET THE DEMINERS IN THE MINEFIELDS

This month's communiqué profiles three HALO Trust deminers in the field.

PARAMEDIC/DEMINER — Kandiah Sritharan

Kandiah Sritharan

PARAMEDIC/DEMINER

Sritharan is a trained paramedic. HALO Trust trainers from Scotland have put these paramedics through intensive training. They are able to handle an accident on the field and to stabilize injured deminers before transferring them to hospital. Sritharan studied at Jaffna Central College. He answered an advertisement in the local newspaper and joined HALO in 2005. He is married and has 4 older brothers and an older sister. He is very grateful for his job in Jaffna.

TASK COMMANDER — Ganeshalingham Stalin Paul

Ganeshalingham Stalin Paul

TASK COMMANDER

Stalin studied in a Catholic school in Jaffna. Hearing there were vacancies through a friend at HALO, he applied and was offered a job. He has worked with HALO for 5 years and is very experienced. He started off as a deminer and was then promoted to Section Commander. He is presently a Task Commander. Each section has 6 people and each task has 4 sections. He is very happy working for HALO and says it is a well managed program. He also says it is a high risk job but adds that if the Standard Operating Procedures are followed to the letter it is not a problem.

SECTION COMMANDER — Kanagaratnam Arulanandam

Kanagaratnam Arulanandam

SECTION COMMANDER

Arulanandam is from Chavakachcheri, east of Jaffna town, and commutes to work daily. He studies at Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam. He used to work in the construction business, but answered a newspaper advertisement to join HALO out of curiosity. He's been with HALO for 3 years and has been newly promoted to Section Commander. He likes coming to work from Monday to Friday as he gets to wear his uniform and feels safe. During the weekends, he stays at home and relaxes.

For more information on HDI's work, please contact Jeanne Samuel, the Director of the Sri Lanka office of HDI, #05-03, East Tower, World Trade Centre, Echelon Square, Colombo 1. Tel: 2421258. www.thehdi.org.