“When I fell, I lost consciousness. All I remember is an explosion. Someone grabbed me from behind and said, ‘Bro, hold on.’ I tried to open my eyes and get up, but I couldn’t,” recalls Rodrigo Banguera, a crucial moment in his life that changed him forever and led him to become who he is today.

Rodrigo is a man with a gentle smile and deep eyes. He knows firsthand the severe consequences of landmines. In 2012, while working in artisanal gold mining, one of those devices exploded under his feet, resulting in the amputation of his leg and changing his life forever.

“I used to work at the Sipí’s mayor’s office, but unfortunately, unemployment in our department (Chocó) is very high, and almost everything is political. So, due to certain circumstances, I had to resign and turned to artisanal mining with 11 colleagues,” he recalls, with a steady voice, as he relives the details of that dark day, July 2, 2012.

It was a public holiday Monday. Rodrigo and his colleagues were heading up the mountain on a path they traveled daily. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the calm. Rodrigo fell to the ground.

“I tried to open my eyes and get up, but I couldn’t. I had to use my fingers to open my eyes. My leg was completely shattered. Was a very tough day. There were 11 of us, and I was the fourth. Three people had already passed the way, and I stepped on the landmine. Unfortunately, I lost my leg,” Rodrigo recounts with his characteristic calmness.

The next months after that were a whirlwind of emotions, as Rodrigo describes: treatments, physical and emotional therapies, all part of his journey to overcome one of life’s toughest challenges. He faced it all with courage and determination, relying on the support of his family and the hope of walking again. The physical and emotional scars were deep, but his spirit remained unbroken.

Thanks to that determination, over time, Rodrigo overcame his limitations and learned to live with a prosthetic leg. The recovery was a long and arduous process, but each step brought him closer to his new reality—a life that had been thrust upon him, but one he now lives to the fullest.

Alongside him, his children learned from his remarkable resilience and bravery in the face of adversity. This experience deeply affected them but also taught them to be strong and never to give up.

“As survivors, we have to face many things, not just us but also our families, our children. My kids had to deal with bullying in school and on the streets, where people would say, ‘Your dad has a wooden leg,’ ‘He has a prosthetic,’ ‘He’s crippled.’ It was all very hard for us. But, thank God, my kids have been able to overcome that. At first, it was very difficult because their classmates would mock them, walking like I walked,” he confesses.

Today, Rodrigo is part of an inspiring program that allows him, through his experience, to be a testament to tenacity. His goal each day is to educate his community about the dangers of landmines and explosive devices, so that no one else has to go through what he did. Rodrigo is a Facilitator with the Fundación Barco, dedicating his days to saving lives by bringing landmine risk education to different areas of Colombia.

Through joining the Pasos Seguros (Safe Steps) initiative, Rodrigo learned about Mine Risk Education (MRE). This not only equipped him with new skills but also gave him a fresh perspective on addressing the challenges faced by communities affected by this scourge in Colombia. Now, he carries a message of prevention and hope to the communities of Sipí.

Pasos Seguros (Safe Steps) is a partnership between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Fundación Barco and Discovery. This effort advances Mine Risk Education (MRE) in Colombia, using information and communication technologies for the first time to have a greater impact on the awareness and safety of affected communities.

Rodrigo’s story is a living testament to how, in every challenge, we find an unbreakable strength. Not only did he survive, but he discovered an inner drive that motivated him to start anew, to rise with a renewed spirit, and to share his light with those around him.