Zavidovici - Usually, Master Sgt. Cuney Topcubasi, from the Turkish Navy, acts under water. He's been a specialist in demining for 18 years now. His job consists of cleaning up the sea and coast from those deadly explosive devices. But today, with his colleague Master Sgt. Irfan Elmas, who's been doing the same work in the Air Force for 10 years, he's going to meet children in a school in Zavidovici in MND-N.
"The mine awareness classes are part of our Harvest program. Because kids are often on the ground, they often meet UXO, and they must know how to report and what to do when they meet the UXO," said Lt. Ekrem Yasla, leader of information operations at the Turkish Battle Group based in Zenica.
A yellow strip with the inscription "Mines" written on it crosses the black board. On a table, many types of mines are displayed. About 80 children gather into the classroom, excited to learn.
The two specialists who belong to an EOD six men team (two from the Army, two from the Air Force and two from the Gendarmerie) begin their speech. First things first: anti-personal mines.
While explaining how the mine works, Topcubasi ask a child to face the situation of walking towards a mine put on the floor.
"You can find it everywhere, in the fields, near the trees. If you step on it, it will be the last thing you will see," he explained to the attentive children.
Anti-tank mines are impressive because of their size. They need one hundred kilos of pressure to explode, but the EOD teachers warn the children to never approach them.
Elmas, who's just arrived in Bosnia-Hercegovina (BiH), shows some hand-grenades. At the sight of one of those a child rises his hand. Not to ask a question, but to say that he has seen one in his grandmother's field. The deminers get his address. They'll later go to check and see.
The 45-minute long lesson ends by a speech on booby-traps that the children may meet. Some toys are bombs. A lot of examples are used to illustrate the words of the specialists. Cars, dolls, cans, aerosols, radios, books everything is detailed.
"If you find that kind of toy, especially if it is left alone, don't touch it. If you receive a book with no address and a strong smell, don't open it. This is not an innocent book. It can hold explosives," said Topcubasi, who's been in BiH for four months.
Before leaving the classroom, each pupil got a summary about mines and the dangers they represent written in Serbo-Croatian.
"We must always remind this subject to the children because there are still minefields in the area," said Nesir Starcevic, director of the 1,041 pupil school. "The latest information we had on the mines was during the UNPROFOR period when they came here. The Red Cross also came at the same time," he added.
The soldiers were glad to help educate the children and help keep them safe in the future.
"Our mission is to protect the kids from mines because they are the future of the country. I hope we'll manage to do this with these lessons," said Elmas.

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