Humanitarian demining: a return to the land that brings hope

The sixth of twelve children, Julio César was forced to live in exile for 24 years, far from his homeland and his roots, because of the armed conflict in Colombia. He is now back with his family in Riochiquito, in the Cauca region of south-west Colombia. Together, they are planting their dreams and hopes in land made safe by HI's humanitarian demining teams – and watching them grow.

The armed conflict in Colombia: a difficult period

Julio César laughingly recalls an episode from his childhood when he fell off a horse called Caracolí. Although he broke his arm, this accident brings back happy memories of days spent with his brothers in the peaceful green fields of Riochiquito.

But he had to leave the land of which he was so proud. In 1999, the peace that Julio César and his family had enjoyed was shattered. One day, armed men arrived near their farm. For them, this marked the beginning of the conflict.

To escape from the violence, the family had to abandon their house, which was later destroyed in the fighting. Julio César and his family also lost more than 40 head of cattle, stolen while they were away. Years later, a terrible tragedy struck the family: one of his brothers was killed at the age of 35 in an explosion in a minefield. 

“Despite the violence and uncertainty, we never lost hope of returning home one day. It was this faith that, many years later, led us back to Riochiquito, which has always been our true home,” says Julio César.

A new start thanks to humanitarian demining

In 2023, Julio César, his father and his brother felt a compelling need to return to the land they had abandoned, to make it productive again and begin a new chapter in their lives. But once back in Riochiquito, they soon discovered that the conflict had left its mark: anti-personnel mines.

Neighbours reported the presence of wires and holes around their farm, indicating the possible presence of explosive devices buried beneath the ground. HI’s teams were called in to carry out humanitarian demining operations and restore peace of mind to Julio César’s family and the other farmers in the region.

A bright future ahead

‘My land has been made safe thanks to HI's humanitarian demining work. It has brought us hope, and I'm very grateful. It has helped us begin new life projects for our family,’ says a delighted Julio César.

The family has started farming again: Julio César and his brothers have planted 5,500 coffee plants and begun growing beans, manioc and bananas. To diversify their production and augment their livelihood, they have also started to keep laying hens.

Julio César's biggest dream is to see his coffee plantation prosper so that he can offer a better quality of life to his father, twice displaced by the conflict, and reunite his family in Riochiquito. Here, in the green fields of the Cauca, he wants to build them a lasting legacy.