A woman in a red polo and man in a blue polo stand before a geometric mural.

Restoring safety to sacred land

19th February 2026 | Colombia | Story | Clearing explosives, Protecting the environment

High in the mountains of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, there is a place called Nasa Kwe'sx Kiwe, “Our Indigenous Land.”

For Efrén Tombe, it is more than a name.

It is identity. It is memory. It is home.

Although his community may not have much money, it is “rich” in cultural, spiritual, and natural resources.

At 55, Efrén is an ancestral medic, a father, and the elected governor of his community. For more than 25 years, he has cared for his people, healing with medicinal plants and traditional practices passed down through generations. For him, traditional teachings seek to raise awareness about the importance of caring for and preserving the environment around them.

But for years, the land he loved carried hidden danger.

Valle del Cauca is a department or region in western Colombia nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Colombian Andes mountains.

Between 2006 and 2014, violence tore through the region. Armed groups fought for control. Families were displaced. Lives were lost. In 2012, one of Efrén’s own sons was killed — a loss no father should endure.

Then came another threat: landmines.

Community members were warned that explosive devices had been buried in the territory. In 2014, two people, including a child, were gravely injured while working the land using traditional farming methods. Fear spread quickly. Fields were abandoned. Even the road to water felt uncertain.

A woman in red and blue demining gear kneels at a mine site with mountains in the background

Step by step, safety returns


When Colombia’s peace agreement was signed in 2016, hope returned — but the landmines remained. For years, families avoided parts of their own territory. Efforts to secure legal land titles stalled because the land could not be confirmed safe. Without safety, there could be no true freedom.

Then, in April 2024, HALO arrived.

With the support of generous donors, HALO teams began working alongside Efrén and the community. Together, they identified three minefields. Slowly and carefully, deminers began clearing the land, inch by inch.

So far, nearly three football field-sized areas of land have been made safe.

Today, families can once again use the road. They can reach their communal water source. A farm that once stood silent is active again, feeding 20 families. Twenty-seven families have also received Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE), helping them protect their children and neighbors.

A middle-aged man sits in front of

A future without fear

For Efrén, the impact is deeply personal.  What matters most, he says, is that their community can move freely without fear.

Step by careful step, the people of Nasa Kwe'sx Kiwe are reclaiming their land — protecting their traditions, preserving their environment, and building a safer future for their children.

Because every family deserves to walk their own land without fear.