Removing mines to make families safe in Kosovo

Sahadete is the director of Abedin Bujupi, a primary school in the village of Arllat, where areas are still contaminated with dangerous explosives left over from the war in 1999. With 117 households affected by the risk of explosives, HALO has been working hard to clear Arllat.  

Sahadete was born and raised in Arllat. She joined Abedin Bujupi as a math teacher before the war and later became a physics teacher.  

During the war in Kosovo, more than 295,000 explosives were dropped across the country. Arllat was subject to several strikes, leaving about 27 acres of the village contaminated with these explosives.  

Sahadete describes how the village was destroyed, including the school, “The mountains of Berisha are a hilly place with a great height. From there, we saw our village burning to the ground.” 

Even with the violence, teachers continued to teach, not letting war get in the way of the children’s education.  

Today, the school has 398 students. Its current location, rebuilt in 2014, is loved by its students. As head of school since 2017, Sahadete and her staff work diligently to ensure maximum safety for their students.  

Sahadete says, “I appreciate HALO’s work because, thanks to them, we now feel very safe. Through surveying and diligent search for dangerous items, HALO has made a significant impact." 

12 submunitions have been found and 13 acres of land (the equivalent of seven and a half football fields) has been cleared by HALO since 2022. This work has impacted 3,132 people and allowed for safe movement through the village and villagers’ backyards. 

25 years after the guns went silent, Arllat will be safe from explosives, allowing the community to realize a peaceful and safe future. Thanks to all our supporters at GlobalGiving for enabling this life-saving work. Thank you!