The 'Girl-Power Mum' in Abkhazia

Tea’s nine year old daughter, Nichol, calls her my ‘girl-power mum.’ She is rightly proud of the path Tea is forging as Abkhazia’s first female EOD Specialist —leading HALO’s work to destroy the unexploded bombs that remain in homes and private stockpiles across Abkhazia.

Tea works as part of a team of four explosives experts based in the Gali district of Abkhazia, which was badly affected by the 1992-3 conflict. Although the thousands of landmines that were laid during the fighting have been safely removed, a hidden danger remains. During the war, people kept salvaged explosives in their homes or in private stockpiles in order to sell the valuable metal for scrap. Decades later these items remain—a lethal threat to local families.

It is the job of Tea and her colleagues to respond to call-outs from members of the public who have found these items so they can be safely destroyed. For the team to be successful, winning the trust of the community is fundamental.

Tea has taken a leading role in building this trust, not only responding to call-outs but visiting schools and local businesses to explain what people should do if they find dangerous items. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team has also used their local connections to distribute vital health awareness messaging.

In Abkhazia, Tea’s career choice is atypical for a woman but, thanks to the efforts of organisations such as the Association of Women of Abkhazia to promote the work of women in mine action, opinions are changing. Today, HALO Abkhazia has one of the most diverse workforces in the region, with women representing 35 per cent of staff across all levels.

The work of Tea and her team is made possible thanks to support from the UK's Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF). Since 2015, HALO’s CSSF-funded teams have destroyed over 2,370 items of dangerous unexploded ordnance so the people of Abkhazia can build a safer future.

This work in Abkhazia is funded by:

The UK Government