Clearing the thousands of mines left in the war-torn villages of Sri-Lanka is a dangerous and demanding job for those that have been assigned with the responsibility of doing it.

The all-female de-mining team of Sri Lanka's northern Mannar district struggles in the blazing heat to navigate the hazardous task at hand and systematically clear the villages of all the traces of war that remain in a place long after the conflict itself has passed.

Following the women we witness the excitement and fear each time a mine is found and get to see how many of the women take the job to support their families, due to the cruel brunt of war leaving them as the sole breadwinners.

They clear the villages of landmines not simply because it is their job, but because they are are all personally involved, each with their own losses and tales of hardship and are keen to finish the job so that people can move back home from refugee camps and begin to live in peace again.

 

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About Al Jazeera - Witness

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Rageh Omaar and Ghida Fakhry present Witness, a half-hour documentary series which features short, specially commissioned or acquired films gathered from independent filmmakers.
 
Each documentary reveals the unknown lives of ordinary people, following their lives, telling their stories and portraying the challenges that confront them. Our witnesses are people in a situation or those who have observed them first hand.
 
The films cover conflict, belief, the past, and the future and, as well as bringing new stories to light, they showcase the talents of a new breed of multi-skilled, frontline journalist.