Donate
Skip to content
The HALO Trust USA
Contact us | Recruitment | Media Enquiries
Donate
  • What we do

    • What we do

    • Our work

      • Our work

      • Clearing landmines and explosives

      • Teaching people to stay safe

      • Managing weapons and ammunition

      • Responding to disaster and crisis

    • Our impact

      • Our impact

      • Protecting lives

      • Making land safe

      • Creating jobs

    Our work

    • Clearing landmines and explosives
    • Teaching people to stay safe
    • Managing weapons and ammunition
    • Responding to disaster and crisis

    Our impact

    • Protecting lives
    • Making land safe
    • Creating jobs
  • Where we work

    • Where we work

    • Africa

      • Africa

      • Angola

      • Ethiopia

      • Malawi

      • Mozambique

      • Somalia and Somaliland

      • Zimbabwe

      • Nigeria

      • Ghana

      • Cote D’Ivoire

      • Mauritania

      • Togo

      • Kenya

      • Guinea Bissau

    • Europe & Caucasus

      • Europe & Caucasus

      • Kosovo

      • Nagorno Karabakh

      • Ukraine

      • Moldova

    • South Asia

      • South Asia

      • Cambodia

      • Laos

      • Myanmar

      • Solomon Islands

      • Sri Lanka

    • Central Asia

      • Central Asia

      • Afghanistan

    • Latin America

      • Latin America

      • Colombia

      • El Salvador

      • Guatemala

      • Honduras

    • Middle East

      • Middle East

      • Libya

      • Syria

      • West Bank

      • Yemen

      • Iraq

    Africa

    • Angola
    • Ethiopia
    • Malawi
    • Mozambique
    • Somalia and Somaliland
    • Zimbabwe
    • Nigeria
    • Ghana
    • Cote D’Ivoire
    • Mauritania
    • Togo
    • Kenya
    • Guinea Bissau

    Europe & Caucasus

    • Kosovo
    • Nagorno Karabakh
    • Ukraine
    • Moldova

    South Asia

    • Cambodia
    • Laos
    • Myanmar
    • Solomon Islands
    • Sri Lanka

    Central Asia

    • Afghanistan

    Latin America

    • Colombia
    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Honduras

    Middle East

    • Libya
    • Syria
    • West Bank
    • Yemen
    • Iraq
  • About us

    • About us

    • Who we are

      • Who we are

      • Our history

      • Our people

      • Our partners

    • Governance

      • Governance

      • Our trustees

      • Medical governance

      • Policies and safeguarding

      • Reports and strategy

    Who we are

    • Our history
    • Our people
    • Our partners

    Governance

    • Our trustees
    • Medical governance
    • Policies and safeguarding
    • Reports and strategy
  • Get involved

    • Get involved

    • Give

      • Give

      • Donate

      • Donate monthly

      • Legacy giving

      • Corporate giving

      • Fundraising promise

      • Events and ideas

    • Join us

      • Join us

      • Newsletter sign up

    • Advocate

      • Advocate

      • Sign Up and Take Action

      • NextGen Advocacy Network

      • The Bipartisan Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus

      • Our Advocacy Partners

    Give

    • Donate
    • Donate monthly
    • Legacy giving
    • Corporate giving
    • Fundraising promise
    • Events and ideas

    Join us

    • Newsletter sign up

    Advocate

    • Sign Up and Take Action
    • NextGen Advocacy Network
    • The Bipartisan Congressional UXO/Demining Caucus
    • Our Advocacy Partners
  • Latest

    • Latest

    • Special Projects

      • Special Projects

      • Baptism Site

      • 100 Women in Demining in Angola

      • Protecting the Okavango

      • The Border Project

      • Cultivating Peace in the Horn of Africa

    • HALO updates

      • HALO updates

      • News

      • Stories

      • Historias de America Latina

      • Beyond Bombs Podcast

      • In the media

    Special Projects

    • Baptism Site
    • 100 Women in Demining in Angola
    • Protecting the Okavango
    • The Border Project
    • Cultivating Peace in the Horn of Africa

    HALO updates

    • News
    • Stories
    • Historias de America Latina
    • Beyond Bombs Podcast
    • In the media
  • Contact us

  • Recruitment

  • Media Enquiries

Donate

International Women's Day: Meet Ines

8th March 2019

Finding Strength in Angola

“The way people look at me now, they respect me for what I am doing.”

Inês Tembo Chilumbo Chipuco, deminer, HALO Angola

As the shadows lengthen, Inês races up the make-shift football pitch in the camp’s hotly contested weekly football match. This is where HALO Angola's Women in Demining live for three weeks at a time as they work to clear the landmines in the remote hills of Benguela. Bursting with energy, Inês embraces life and its challenges head on. Mother to four-year-old Pedro, she is proud that her job with HALO means she is now able to support her whole family and contribute to Angola’s future. 

Photos by Scout Tufankjian

I joined HALO to help my country when I heard that Angola still has many minefields. All my family was affected by the war. Many had to leave their homes, we were all separated. One of my uncles disappeared and we do not know what happened to him. He has never been found. My grandmother was injured, she was attacked with a machete, her arm has not worked properly since.

"I think it’s really important that women are clearing the landmines in Angola because it saves the lives of both people and animals. In the future if the fields are free we can build roads and schools here. I get a lot of satisfaction from my job. I am very proud and it makes me feel so strong. When I found my first landmine I was very frightened but over time I am no longer afraid, I feel confident in my work."

Scroll

Everyone is very happy that I am working. It’s so hard to find a job in Angola as a woman, most do not work. What I earn supports my entire family and I can buy the things that my little boy needs. When I explained to my family that I was a deminer, at first, they were afraid but now they are very proud of me. I am surprised by what I have been able to achieve, I did not think I could do this.

"I have learnt so much from this experience and living with all the women in the camp. The other women teach me how to listen better, not to always talk too much and to think more before I speak!"

Scroll

In the future, I want to continue to work with HALO so that I can support my family and help my son and brothers through school. One day, when my work with HALO is done, I would like to go back to my studies, perhaps go to university and study medicine. I have to take advantage of the opportunities to do the things I didn’t do before.

"What I earn supports my entire family and I can buy the things that my little boy needs. Everyone is very happy that I am working. It’s so hard to find a job in Angola as a woman, most do not work."

Meet more inspirational women
Share this article

Useful Info

  • Policies and safeguarding
  • FAQs

Get Involved

  • Donate
  • Raise money
  • Advocate

Get in touch

  • Contact us
  • Press office
Sitemap | Terms of use | Privacy policy USA | Cookies policy
The HALO Trust USA | Copyright © 2025
Sign Up To Our Newsletter
Visit the HALO Trust website

CARRONFOOT, THORNHILL, DUMFRIES, DG3 5BF

The HALO Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 2228587. Registered Charity No. 1001813 and (in Scotland) SC037870. Registered Office: One Bartholomew Close, Barts Square, London EC1A 7BL

The HALO Trust (USA), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization US Federal Tax ID Number 52-2158152
Office: 1730 Rhode Island Ave NW, Suite 206, Washington, DC 20036 

By registering for our updates, or making a donation to us, you expressly agree to your information being used by The HALO Trust and The HALO Trust (USA), Inc. in accordance with our privacy protection policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You are currently on our US & Canadian website.

Visit www.halotrust.org