Prince Harry Goes Full Dad Mode in Angola — Teaching Kids How to Stay Safe from Landmines

Prince Harry is dedicating time to local children during his visit to Angola, continuing the humanitarian legacy of his late mother, Princess Diana, through his work with The HALO Trust.

On July 16, the Duke of Sussex, 40, took part in a children’s safety class in a remote Angolan village, helping to spread vital life-saving messages. The visit marked the second day of his solo trip to Angola, during which he met families living near the largest minefield in Africa as part of HALO Trust’s community outreach efforts.

During the visit, Harry repeated simple safety phrases in Portuguese — the national language of Angola — including “Stop, go back and tell your elders,” The HALO Trust said in a press release shared with PEOPLE. These crucial warnings aim to protect children from the deadly remnants of landmines left behind after the Angolan Civil War, which lasted from 1975 to 2002.

Reflecting on the visit, Prince Harry said, “Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day.”

“The Angolan government’s continued commitment is a powerful testament to HALO’s success in saving lives and reducing humanitarian risk. We thank President Lourenço for his leadership and partnership, as well as continued donor support as we work together towards completing the mission of a landmine-free country,” he added.

Prince Harry likely slipped into dad mode while spending time with the children, drawing from his own experience as a father to Prince Archie, 6 and daughter Princess Lilibet, 4, whom he shares with his wife, Meghan Markle.

The HALO Trust is a British landmine clearance charity that Princess Diana famously supported before her death in 1997 and Prince Harry has continued his late mother’s work in endorsing the organization working to create a mine-free world.

On July 16, the charity released pictures of the Duke of Sussex walking through a minefield, showing him following in his mother’s footsteps once more.

“Today, the Duke of Sussex joined us in #Angola to meet families living near Africa’s largest minefield – 28 years after his mother brought the issue to the world’s attention,” the photo was captioned by the HALO Trust on X.

In January 1997, Princess Diana drew worldwide attention to the need for an international landmine ban by walking through an active minefield in Huambo, Angola with the HALO Trust. The cause was of great importance to her during what proved to be the final year of her life and Harry continues this mission by supporting the HALO Trust today. 

During a royal tour of Africa in 2019 with Meghan and Prince Archie, Prince Harry honored Princess Diana’s legacy by retracing her steps through the same minefield in Huambo, an emotional scene that called back to the walk she made.

King Charles’ younger son met with Angolan President João Lourenço on July 15, and the statement said that he supported the government’s renewed commitment to assisting with demining across Angola.

A new three-year contract was discussed between the government and the HALO Trust during the meeting, and Prince Harry later attended a reception hosted by the British Embassy, where he met business leaders and spoke about the importance of partnership in humanitarian efforts.

James Cowan, CEO of The HALO Trust, said in a statement, “We are hugely grateful to President Lourenço for his leadership and to the Duke of Sussex for his personal commitment to HALO’s work in Angola. This new contract is an important step forward in our mission to make Angola mine-free, and we will continue our work in solidarity with the Angolan people until every last mine is cleared.”

The reinvigorated commitment builds on previous collaboration with the Angolan government, and the press release said that the Angolan government is the HALO Trust’s singles largest donor in the country.

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Since 1994, the humanitarian charity has cleared the equivalent of nearly 7,000 football pitches (or soccer fields) in Angola, making Angola a safer place.

Though the HALO Trust has cleared over 120,000 landmines and 100,000 bombs from Angola, at least 80 Angolans have been killed because of them in the last five years.

Today, over 1,000 minefields remain to be cleared across the country.