We often overlook the simplicity of being a child, creating toys from scrap items laying in and around our homes and letting our imaginations run wild. Little do we know how often these simple ideas can come back later as an adult (where many things tend to become overcomplicated), maybe finding use to save lives. One man by the name of Massoud Hassani grew up around the open fields in Qasaba, Kabul. It was there he and his brother learned to create their own toys.
One creation in particular was wind-powered and could be raced along the flat fields. However, these “fields’’ were once areas used to train military groups and upon the completion of their various training, many live explosives were left behind. Many locals had been severely injured or killed due to the hidden explosives. Not wanting her son to grow up in such an unsafe area, Massoud was smuggled out of Afghanistan to the Netherlands.
Videos by VICE
Many years later Massoud is now a product designer and using his past as inspiration to help resolve the land mine issue in his hometown. Afghanistan is said to have over 10 million land mines and the cost to remove just one of them is around $1,200. Enter the Mine Kafon. Composed of biodegradable plastics and bamboo, its light enough to be powered by wind yet heavy enough to withstand up to four land mine detonations before becoming immobile. The cost to build one Mine Kafon is $50.
Another interesting piece of the project is the attached GPS chip, which allows one to follow its movements, see the safest walking paths and the land mines destroyed during its journey. You can find out more about the Mine Kafon and donate to the project via Massoud’s website. Mine Kafon will be part of an exhibition at MOMA in March 2013. Director Callum Cooper has a documentry short about the project currently in the final running for a Focus Forward filmmaking award and, indeed, it’s the sort of thing you just have to see.
Update: you can sponsor Mine Kafon .
