In November 2021, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) interviewed some of NPA's current and former female operational staff, who shared their experience of being engaged in mine action activities in Kosovo.
In large parts of Kosovo today there are still mines and other explosive remnants of war, including cluster munitions. Most of it comes from the conflict between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and NATO in 1999.
Norwegian People's Aid began its work in Kosovo in 1999 as one of the first organizations to establish a humanitarian disarmament program in the country.
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) has filmed interviews with former NPA employees Delfina Lokaj and Vlora Brdakic, who were, along with Saranda Kastrati, among the first women working in demining in Kosovo in the period from 1999 to 2001.
From 1999 to 2001, the UN was responsible for dealing with the mine and explosives problem after the conflict. The UN declared prematurely that the problem had been solved and withdrew resources.
Kosovo's mine clearance organization, the Kosovo Mine Action Center (KMAC), and the Norwegian Embassy in Kosovo later asked Norwegian People's Aid for assistance in clearing the remaining areas as well. Norwegian People's Aid is now assisting with mapping expertise and manual deminers. A number of these deminers from NPA are women.
GICHD also conducted interviews with Team Leader Gordana Vucinic, Medic Ivana Stamenkovic, BAC Operator Fitore Ferizi, and Community Liaison Officer Saranda Kastrati, all current NPA employees in Kosovo.
The interviews with Gordana, Ivana, and Fitore were filmed at the current NPA's BAC sites in the municipality of Podujevo, while Saranda, Delfina, and Vlora took GICHD to the village of Lumbardhe, where NPA conducted mine clearance in 2000, where all three women worked in female demining teams numbering 30 team members in total.