Well-trained HALO Trust staff around me scan the ground.
A metal detector beeps and the deminer slowly marks a perimeter of the item using sticks.
Once sure of the size, she begins to dig 15 cm into the ground.
Jessica Toale MP visited British-charity HALO Trust in Angola (Image: HALO Trust)
As I watch, the whistle blows and everyone breaks for 10 minutes.
As I peel off my polycarbonate visor and blast-proof blue vest in the midday sun, I can’t help but reflect on the transformational impact of this painstaking work.
Decades after Angola’s long civil war ended in 2002, the deadly legacy of landmines still lingers.
At one point, millions of mines were scattered across the country, killing and injuring tens of thousands of people and rendering vast areas of land unusable.
But there was a turning point.
Princess Diana visited HALO Trust’s work in the country in 1997, putting this issue on the map.
Images of her walking down a recently cleared street are unforgettable.
Today that street is a thriving area with a hospital, primary school and homes.
It is unrecognisable.
Since arriving in Angola in 1994, HALO has helped remove well over 100,000 landmines and other explosive remnants of war.
These are not abstract numbers.
Each mine cleared is a life potentially saved.
Each field made safe is a community restored.
The impact is visible everywhere.
Land once too dangerous to walk on is now being farmed again, helping families grow food and rebuild livelihoods.
Roads and railways are reopening, reconnecting communities and enabling trade.
Wildlife, once driven away by conflict and danger, is returning, opening the potential for conservation and eco-tourism.
What makes this story even more powerful is the role Britain has played.
HALO is a British charity, and for decades has been supported by the UK government.
It is a quiet success story of global Britain at its best: practical, life-saving, and rooted in partnership.
And that partnership is evolving, in line with the broader shift in the UK’s relationship with African nations.
Britain can take real pride in having backed Angola’s recovery.
Our support for demining has not only saved lives, but it has also helped lay the foundation for a safer, more prosperous future.
The Angolan government is now leading the world in funding its demining efforts itself – a milestone that reflects how far the country has come.
This opens the door for a deeper focus on trade, investment, and long-term growth opportunities that benefit both Angola and the UK.
What I saw in Angola is exactly what that future can look like: a country moving from recovery to opportunity and a partnership that delivers for both sides.
Jessica Toale MP visited British-charity HALO Trust in Angola (Image: HALO Trust)
There is still work to do.
Hundreds of minefields remain, and lives are still being lost, opportunities curtailed.
But the direction of travel is clear – and hopeful.
As a British MP, I am proud to know that British expertise, support and determination is making a real difference.