Former Afghan Deminers Learn New Civilian Skills

Demining Agency for Afghanistan (DAFA) humanitarian deminers are taught basic professional plumbing skills, thanks to a grant from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Learn more about this initiative to teach useful peacetime skills to unemployed Afghan deminers by clicking on http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/apr/103806.htm.

These DAFA humanitarian deminers, having learned basic plumbing procedures, are now being taught advanced plumbing techniques.

Here, DAFA deminers are beginning to learn basic carpentry skills by repairing old and broken furniture at the DAFA field office in Kandahar, under the watchful eyes of skilled carpenters.

These DAFA vocational students pose with pride beside doors and window frames that they built using the more advanced carpentry skills that they subsequently learned.

These DAFA deminers are learning the basic techniques of professional painting. They went on to acquire more advanced painting skills before they graduated.

DAFA deminers carefully lay bricks during the masonry part of their training which eventually taught them to build walls and ceilings.

A former DAFA deminer and successful student of this vocational training program receives his graduation certificate. The bag that is hanging from his arm contains various professional tools with which he was also supplied by this program. Having helped to put his country on the path to where it can become free from the humanitarian impact of persistent landmines and explosive remnants of war (“impact free”), this deminer can now pursue a productive career and literally help to rebuild and develop Afghanistan in the process.

[Photos courtesy of Demining Agency for Afghanistan]