听鈥淏efore I came to work for HALO I had nothing, I could not get a job. My sister was struggling to support me and my daughter and there wasn鈥檛 enough to divide between us. It made me feel really bad that only my sister was able to bring money home. I wanted to be able to contribute but had nothing to give.
In 2008, I worked for HALO as a cook in Bocoio. There were no female deminers at that time, I didn鈥檛 even imagine women doing this job back then. I was really afraid of the mines, I thought the men working as deminers were crazy! When I first heard that they were recruiting women to clear the landmines I questioned if I could do it, but then I thought to myself "Yes,听I will go and find out more."听I thought听"Last time I was working as a cook but now I can go there and be at the front, clearing the mines."听I don鈥檛 think there is any difference between men and women doing this job. Everyone, man or woman, must focus on their work to do it well.