Landmines are a hidden menace. Long after conflicts end, they remain buried, quietly threatening lives, livelihoods, and any real chance of peace. In Angola, The HALO Trust is doing the slow, courageous work of clearing these deadly remnants.
Since October 2024, the Relay Trust has been supporting HALO with a long-term, skills-focused development programme for HALO’s Angolan staff. This four-year initiative is focused not on equipment or explosives, but on people; the men and women who put themselves on the line every day to make their country safe.
The focus is to build internal capacity through basic literacy and numeracy classes, vocational skills training, and a tailored leadership programme for promising staff. As of March 2025, 143 HALO staff have received professional development training through this initiative.
The impact is visible. English classes are now running in four remote demining camps across Bié Province, helping 98 staff develop language skills that open up future opportunities. Vocational training has also begun for staff facing redundancy due to external funding cuts. These courses, in ICT, English, and baking, are already equipping staff with certified skills that can serve them far beyond the minefields.
Two Angolan staff also attended an international Train the Trainer programme in Sri Lanka, part of HALO’s Talent Development Programme. They returned equipped to train others in Angola, multiplying the impact of what they learned.
In January 2025, Neil Smith, our Chairman, and Daniel Magagnin, our Regional Relationship Manager for Angola and Mozambique, visited Bié Province and had the opportunity to meet staff, observe mine clearance operations, and witness the courage, professionalism, and commitment of the HALO teams first-hand.
This kind of support is not typical for Relay Trust. We primarily work with church-based institutions to strengthen theological training and discipleship. Yet, we recognise that the Gospel speaks into every corner of life, including work, dignity, and peace. By helping to equip HALO staff with skills for life and leadership, we believe we are contributing to the holistic mission of God’s Kingdom, which brings healing to wounded lands and hope to broken communities.
We are proud to stand with HALO. And we’re deeply grateful to the teams in Angola who remind us, daily, what courage, perseverance, and service really look like. Please pray for the amazing work that The HALO Trust is doing in Angola and around the world.