(VOVWORLD) - Quang Tri was one of the most heavily bombed areas during Vietnam’s resistance war for national independence. Today, many bombs and mines are still buried in the ground. To help make the land safe again, a group of women is doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the country. They are part of Vietnam’s first all-female bomb and mine clearance team.
 NAP/RENEW team members during a break (Photo:cand.com.vn) |
On the way to the site, team leader Nguyen Thi Hai Van of the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)/RENEW clearance team quickly assigns tasks to other members.
"Today, we’re working at site 409-063. Thu Van and Cam Nhung work in Group 1. Group 2 – Hong Van and Thu Hong. Make sure you follow all safety rules. In case of any accident, we’ll go to Gio Linh Hospital. Any questions? If not, let’s get to work."
Under the scorching summer sun, the 15 women of the NPA/RENEW team are sweating, their faces red, their shirts soaked. The field is silent—except for the steady beeping of metal detectors. This job demands more than just physical strength. It requires sharp focus, nerves of steel, and strict discipline. By the end of the shift, Phan Thi Thu Huong and her team have identified several spots that might contain explosives.
 Captain Nguyen Thi Hai Van instructs team members before they detonate a landmine. (Photo:cand.com.vn) |
According to Huong, this is a pine forest where many locals work every day. “But on the ground we’ve placed red flags indicating possible bombs.”
There’s no room for mistakes in this job. One “beep” from the detector could mean a piece of rusted metal—or it could be a deadly bomb buried for more than 50 years. Even a small mistake can cost a life—your own, or someone else’s. Bomb and mine clearance is a job where there are no second chances.
Huong said that this is a very dangerous job, "so we can’t make any mistakes—not even small ones." Otherwise, the consequences can be catastrophic, she added.
After more than two months of working in the heavily contaminated Tan Vinh area, the team has found hundreds of explosive items, Van said. "We’ve cleared 700,000 square meters of land and found more than 150 explosive items—like artillery shells, grenades, and mortar rounds. We’ve also detected 80 cluster bombs and submunitions."
These women feel proud and happy every time they destroy an explosive safely because they know that tomorrow, local people can farm this land more safely. Here’s what some team members said:
"First of all, it’s about safety. It gives people a chance to make a living and to move forward. Now they can work on their land without fear."
"Every day, we deal with bombs and other explosives. Local people are happy because they feel safe working on their land now. That motivates us to keep doing this work."
 (Photo:cand.com.vn) |
Every day, these women go to work knowing it’s dangerous. They choose this job because they want the land to be safe for others.
Mai Van Viet, Operation Manager of NPA/RENEW in Quang Tri, said that men and women can do the same work equally. "NPA/ RENEW shows that women can do this job just as well as men.”
As long as unexploded ordnance remains under the soil, these brave women will keep moving forward—day by day, step by step—so that children can grow up safely on this land.