Blog Archive

Meet Alberto – a HeroRAT trainer for APOPO in Mozambique

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Alberto Jorge Zacaris is 30 years old and the father of two
children. He is from the Imhambane Province, situated in the southern part of Mozambique. He now works as an APOPO rat trainer on demining missions in Mozambique.

He began working in the demining field over 10 years ago, initially as surveyer with NPA (Norwegians People Aid), then as a dog trainer and a manual deminer with NPA, and now as a rat trainer for APOPO. Alberto is a well-experienced animal trainer and deminer. He demines to support his family, and to help Mozambique become a stronger country, socially and economically.

Date :
Jun 3, 2008

APOPO and Bart Weetjens’ featured in Academic Lecture Series

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“I believe that ordinary people can make a difference on a global scale,” said Dr. Warkentin. Three stories of people who exemplify Dr. Warkentin’s message, that everyone is capable of making a change in the world, are featured on his Web site Laptops, Rats, and Taxis.

Date :
May 25, 2008

Lessons from Mozambique

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Trainers return from 2 month exchange program and talk about lessons and contributions in real mine fields in Mozambique…

Abouswai Msuya and Shaibu Dutilo returned from a 2 month exchange program with 2 trainers from Mozambique. Abouswai went to work with the rats in the mine fields and Shaibu went to assist trainers there with maintenance training. Shaibu was voted one of APOPO’s best trainers last year and Abouswai was the first person on the team to begin training his rats on the “stick” method of mine detection.

Date :
May 25, 2008

APOPO in Tuane Village (nr Macia, Gaza Province)

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The local people in and around the small village of Tuane have never seen anything quite like it before. A large group of men, women, vehicles, machines and rats!! entering their village and setting up camp for what will probably be at least a six month stay.

Date :
Apr 5, 2008

Rats and Dogs are Trained as Mine Detectors for Road Clearance

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Hero Rat trainers wear protective gear while in the field. Rats and dogs are trained as mine detectors for road clearance and compared with analytical methods. APOPO and its partners are exploring the boundaries of animal detection.

One major obstacle in demining is the distinction between mined and clear land. Typically, more than 95 % of the surface turns out to be mine/UXO free after clearance. Major funds and resources are thus wasted in the absence of better technologies that could quickly identify which areas contain no mines/UXO.

Date :
Aug 13, 2006

APOPO joins forces with Handicap International

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APOPO has moved its operational base in Mozambique to Inhambane province, to take up a humanitarian demining task in co-operation with the humanitarian NGO Handicap International. Handicap International (HI) provides since 1982 help to people with disabilities, including mine victims. The HI programs in Mozambique include a Mine Clearance Project (HIMCP) which has been operational since 1997.

With Inhambane being the most mine-threat affected province of the country, many of the tasks are situated in Inhambane, although HI is active in Manica and Sofala provinces as well.

Date :
Sep 21, 2005