Economic Growth Sri Lanka Project #9015

Train Dogs to "Sniff Out" Landmines & Save Lives

by The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI)

Project Report | Jan 16, 2014
Sniffing out landmines in Afghanistan

By Tycie Horsley | Development Director

MDD Abrams searching for mines

Over the past seven years, the Marshall Legacy Institute has donated 28 life-saving Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs) to four indigenous demining organizations in Afghanistan. One of these organizations, the Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), recently submitted a report to MLI detailing the great work being done by MDDs Abrams, Stryker, and Toby,who searched more than 102,000 square meters (25 acres) of mine-contaminated land in 2013! ATC reports that the MDDs have directly impacted the lives of 3,207 families, or 22,005 individuals since the beginning of 2013.

Mohammad Khalid lives in one of the communities that was recently searched by the MDDs and is very appreciative of the work done by Abrams, Stryker, and Toby. In an interview with the ATC, he described the impact landmines have had on his community:

"Mines were laid in our community and in the surrounding areas by the ex communist regime, and during the civil war by Mujahidin to protect Kabul city against the attack of opposition groups. The existence of mines in the area caused all of us a lot of difficulties. A man was killed, and we have lost several sheep and goats to landmine explosions, as well; additionally, a tractor vehicle was seriously damaged. We could not graze our livestock in these areas and were not able to collect bushes or wood for making fire. Moreover, accessing construction materials found in this area was impossible.

"Clearing these areas was a very high priority for our community, so local representatives asked that they be cleared as soon as possible. After clearance we have enjoyed a big change in our lives. It is a great example of the outcomes from mine clearance, as we now have full access to the cleared lands, and we are able to use them for the aforesaid purposes without fear or concern. The cleared lands are a major source of income for our families."

-- Mohammad Khalid

Thank you for your continued support of the Marshall Legacy Institute's
Mine Detection Dog Partnership Programs around the world! By donating
to our project on Global Giving, you have truly made a difference in the lives
of thousands of people. We wish you peace and happiness in the New Year,
and hope we can count on your support in 2014!

MDD Toby searching for mines in Afghanistan

MDD Toby

MDD Stryker locates a landmine

Links:

Back to all project reports

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.