1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,840
You're watching UNICEF Television.

2
00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:13,160
Dogs at this army base in Colombia are being trained to sniff out explosives.

3
00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:18,400
Explosives like these rudimentary, but sometimes lethal, landmines, commonly used in Colombia's

4
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:26,760
longstanding internal war between government troops, guerrillas, and paramilitary forces.

5
00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:33,120
Because of this conflict, landmines and unexploded ordnance lurk in many areas of the countryside.

6
00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:37,640
And Colombia has the highest victim rate in the world, says UNICEF Mine Action Officer

7
00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,080
Sharon Ball.

8
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:46,200
Last year alone we had 65 new child victims.

9
00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:50,560
Child victims like Irma Jeanette, now 16, who was only 10 years old when she put her

10
00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,800
left foot on a landmine while walking through the woods.

11
00:00:53,800 --> 00:01:00,880
The explosion tore off her leg and left her unable to ever bear children.

12
00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,080
It's too horrible what happens to people with these mines.

13
00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:11,800
Irma Jeanette is determined to put the past behind her.

14
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:18,600
How do you get on with your life if you just keep crying about what happened to you?

15
00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:23,480
Having lost two years of school because of the accident, she's now resumed her studies.

16
00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,800
But like other young victims, she will still need help.

17
00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,840
A child victim will need a new prosthesis maybe every four months, especially if they're

18
00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,800
living in a rural area because of wear and tear.

19
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:39,260
And that's a dramatic cost for a family coming from a poor area.

20
00:01:39,260 --> 00:01:46,160
In rural areas where 96% of mine-related accidents take place, young lives suffer a heavy toll

21
00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,880
even when children are physically unscathed.

22
00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,160
These kids will likely struggle to complete their schooling.

23
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:55,280
Why?

24
00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,960
Their father has lost the use of his leg and one eye to a landmine.

25
00:01:59,960 --> 00:02:04,200
He's now unable to farm his small plot of land.

26
00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:09,400
The impact of accidents like these on local communities is devastating, says mine risk

27
00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,740
educator Martina Morillo.

28
00:02:11,740 --> 00:02:15,600
It's created panic among people here.

29
00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:20,840
Making children wise to the dangers of landmines is one way to fight the panic, using songs,

30
00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:27,240
and games.

31
00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,360
Until nationwide demining can be undertaken here, prevention measures like these, coupled

32
00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:37,440
with help for the victims' families, are the most realistic ways to counter the constant

33
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:38,840
threat of landmines.