A LIVE video link between Guernsey and Kosovo was the focus of the five-year celebration of the limb- and life-saving work of the Mines Awareness Trust. Operations director Ben Remfrey was on the Kosovan end of the link yesterday as the charity launched its 5.5.5 campaign to commemorate the first mine risk education trip it made in 1999.

‘We’re now back here where it all started,’ he said. ‘And today we’ve been in the field with a team and destroyed an anti-personnel mine.’

Since its first trip after the Balkans war, MAT has worked on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kosovo, Sri Lanka and Uganda.

The campaign launch marked the charity’s goals to be planning and delivering education, survey and clearance activities in these five countries, using funds raised from five local initiatives by 05-05-05 – or Thursday 5 May 2005.

‘The main struggle has always been finance,’ said Mr Remfrey. ‘There’s no lack of areas where we’ve wanted to move into. We’ve had excellent support from Specsavers, businesses and individuals as well as funding from Guernsey Overseas Aid.’

He referred to calls from Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, former president of the Overseas Aid Committee, to support locally-run overseas initiatives.

‘I would like Guernsey Overseas Aid to see what we’ve been doing and throw their weight behind us on a significant basis,’ said Mr Remfrey.

He said that the charity often faced the dilemma of not being able to respond to all the mine-clearance invitations they received for fear of being overstretched.

At current rates, it would take 1,000 years to clear the world’s landmines. Mr Remfrey said it was heartbreaking not to be able to respond when people asked.

‘The next year is about consolidation.’

In order to achieve its goals the trust needs to raise about £2.5m., 90% of which would come from UK and international sources such as Comic Relief and the UN.

But to set this in motion MAT needs to raise the remaining 10% from local sources.

The five successful local initiatives are the Friends of MAT, the Heritage Beach Walk, Slim For Good, a donations programme and commercial activities such as Christmas cards.

These would cover the numerous assessment and administration costs needed to persuade international bodies like the UN to lend their support.

John Stares, chairman of MAT’s fund-raising committee, said that it was difficult to get these funds.

‘We need to raise £250,000 locally to get the remaining money from the UN. By 05.05.05 we want to have the wheels in motion.’

He added that the charity had a growing international reputation, citing the case of a States deputy who met a US senator who knew Guernsey through MAT’s work.

‘Do a Google search and you will see 248 unique hits for the Mines Awareness Trust,’ he said.

‘That website recognition is a very true barometer. We’ve got momentum but we’ve got to get to a point where we balance the books.’

Mr Remfrey expected that the charity’s goals might be achieved through diversification.

‘We’ve started doing survey work and we are the most cost-effective mine action group in Kosovo.’

Schemes such as Fairtrade and victim assistance could help realise MAT’s ultimate objectives.

Mr Remfrey said experiences like yesterday’s clearance of an anti-personnel mine made the whole enterprise worthwhile. The trust worked by empowering local communities and allowing them to continue with their lives.

‘We’ve destroyed mines where people have wanted to go and graze their cattle.’