MAG made an appearance at last weekend's Angola Football Cup semi-finals as part of a drive to publicise its successful work and provide up-to-date and accurate information about the significant levels of contamination in eastern Angola.

Not only is such a marketing drive imperative given the decreasing levels of donor involvement in Angola, but the interest displayed by both the electronic and traditional media reflects the ongoing attraction of MAG's innovative approaches to demining and general high productivity.

Indeed, whilst it is estimated that economic growth for 2007 may be as high as 20 percent, with the state producing as many as 1.65 million barrels per day, the country remains desperately poor with a high degree of landmine contamination and other remnants of conflict.

Recent publications, as part of MAG Angola's current outreach, include the following:

- "Estrada Luena-Lumbala Reaberta ao Trafego", Jornal de Angola, 28 August 2007 (front page)

- "MAG Intesifica Desminagem no Moxico", Jornal de Angola, 18 October 2007 (back page)

- "WFP Bridge Building Project Opens Road to Isolated Region in East", WFP Press Release, Rome, 26 September 2007

- "Grupo Consultor desmina 250 quilometros de estrada no Moxico", Angola Press, 28 September 2007

- "Desminados mais de 300 hectares deterrenos no Moxico", Angola Press, 18 October 2007

- Mainichi Newspapers, 25 September 2007

- Selection of broadcasts on Televisao Publica de Angola (TPA) and Radio Nacional de Angola (weekend of the 20 October)

- MAG Angola also expects to be featured in the United Nations Integrated Regional News Network (IRIN) and in O Estado de Sao Paulo (Brazilian newspaper) in December 2007.

MAG has also formed partnerships with more unconventional organisations including Casablanca, a national promotions agency, and Luanda International School.

These endeavours have resulted in, for example, MAG Angola publicising its logo in less traditional venues such as at football matches, schools and international fashion and music festivals.

Such outreach has meant that MAG Angola has been able to achieve significantly more public attention than previously and subsequently raise its profile both nationally and internationally.

For example, during the weekend of 3-4 November, MAG Angola's logo was prominently displayed on billboards at the semi-finals of the Angola Football Cup.

The games were transmitted throughout Angola on terrestrial television and throughout Africa on satellite television. Ironically, playing in his last professional football match of his career was Fabrice Akwa, the captain of Angola during the 2006 World Cup, and now a national demining ambassador.

It was only the previous month that MAG Angola met to have discussions with the footballer about his role as a demining ambassador and collaborating with MAG. Now that he has retired from professional football, it is hoped he can score plenty more goals with MAG...