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Furat's journey into Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE)

Fural Al-Malkawi radiates joy and a passion for life. Her dedication to her work brings hope and opens doors wide to new possibilities in the field of explosive ordnance risk education (EORE). In Syria and beyond, she looks for every opportunity to innovate, empower others, and ensure critical information reaches affected communities. In just four years, Furat has grown tremendously as a professional, now making a meaningful impact in North-West Syria as a Program Officer with the HALO Trust. More than just a dedicated advocate, Furat is a true leader—one who inspires others, finds the right words and true intention, making people stop and listen.

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Furat is what one would call “a natural”. Although her journey with the HALO Trust began only four years ago, her path towards becoming a leader in EORE was paved much earlier. After completing her studies in social work, she joined the Lazord Fellowship, a program designed to equip graduates with professional skills through mentoring and job placements. That’s when she discovered the HALO Trust. Their collaboration marked the start of her career in mine action — a field where her passion for connecting with groups and communities found a new dimension.

“I vividly remember my first experience working directly on EORE,” Furat recalls. “It was months after I joined HALO, and I was asked to support teams using focus group discussions. That was when I realized the power of integrating social work principles with EORE.”

She soon became a driving force behind refining Monitoring & Evaluation tools, collaborating with HALO’s global team to enhance pre- and post-tests, and developing focus group methods to better capture the social norms and behaviors of at-risk communities in North-West Syria. Today, Furat supports EORE projects in the region, ensuring their implementation with a focus on innovation and community engagement. Her work involves developing new approaches and materials that resonate with the local context. She remains careful to avoid awareness fatigue, by combining methodologies and using multiple approaches for a greater impact. Her goal is not only to share messages, it is to generate behavioural change and transform lives.

“EORE offers a unique space for innovation,” she explains. “It’s not just about educating people, but about building trust and engaging communities in multiple ways that empower them to protect themselves and others.”

Her educational background has been invaluable in shaping her approach. She emphasizes that EORE, much like social work, is about understanding the human experience, building relationships, and fostering change from within. The trust that is achieved directly influences both collective and individual safety. This became particularly clear to her in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake that struck Southern Turkey and Syria. Furat and her team had to rapidly adapt their emergency response for displaced people who might travel through contaminated areas. The teams themselves were impacted by the earthquake, so they had to rely on previous focus group results and materials that could quickly reach communities. 

“It was a challenging time, but seeing how the team came together made me incredibly proud.”

In June 2023, Furat’s expertise gained global recognition when she was elected co-chair of the EORE Advisory Group. This new role has broadened her perspective, inspiring her to think beyond local contexts while bringing her deep understanding of her region, language, and culture to a new stage.  Furat is a dedicated professional, ensuring that she contributes as much as her peers.  Alongside them, she feels honored and excited to shape the future of risk education and to highlight its role as a core pillar of mine action. Furat embodies that future. Her commitment to making risk education accessible, culturally sensitive, and community-driven continues to define her work. She has the determination and skills to overcome any challenge, and one thing is certain: she will not stop until the world is safe.

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Photo credits:

- EORE course Spiez September 2022_Group Picture. Credits: Unknown 

- HALO Programme Officer Course March 2023_Demining day. © The HALO Trust.

   With Hugues Laurenge, UNICEF’s co-chair of the EORE AG.The picture was taken on the final day of the Spiez training, in 2022.

  Credits: Unknown, but consent was given by Hugues for the picture to be used. With Kim Fletcher our Head of MEAL One of my biggest supporters.              

- Lazord fellowship programme annual international conference. © The HALO Trust.