BP Angola increases its financial grant to support the work of landmine clearance charity the HALO Trust in the country.

BP Angola revealed Wednesday that it has increased its financial grant to support the work of landmine clearance charity the HALO Trust in the country.

An additional $4.9 million of funding has been agreed, on top of the $1.2 million grant announced in May 2019, BP Angola outlined. The $6.1 million grant will be delivered over four years and will support HALO’s 100 Women in Demining project. This project is said to clear minefields safely while empowering women through jobs, skills and training.

BP Angola highlighted that the funding continues its investments aimed at meeting social and community needs in the areas of education, enterprise development and capacity building for health, safety and the environment in Angola. The company revealed that it has invested $100 million in local communities and social initiatives over the past 15 years.

“The elimination of the terrible legacy of landmines is essential for the future of Angola,” BP Angola Regional President Stephen Willis said in a company statement.

“BP is grateful for the opportunity to help drive this agenda, and to do so in a way that creates opportunities for Angolan women and local communities,” he added.

James Cowan, the chief executive of the HALO Trust charity, said, “the HALO Trust is very grateful to BP Angola for its generous support for our all-female demining teams”.

“Their support for HALO’s 100 Women in Demining project helps us to achieve greater gender equality in mine action and ensure a prominent and permanent female presence in demining worldwide,” he added.

BP, which has been present in Angola since the 1970s, is one of the largest foreign investors in the country, according to BP’s website. BP Angola employs 669 staff and 20 contractors, split between the UK and Angola, BP’s website shows.

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