Our Partners
The most important partners which have contributed to the APOPO project
Belgian Government
The Belgian Directorate General for International Co-operation (DGIS) has funded the initial R&D phase of APOPO, during the period 1998 – 2003. Their support came from a budget line for ‘conflict prevention’, and has been crucial in the development of the new technology. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved renewed support for APOPO’s core activities for the period 2005/2006.
Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)
The GICHD has funded two studies, focusing on the development of REST. Apart from the financial support, APOPO has greatly benefited from the operational support and the coordination effort of GICHD in the field of REST and animal detection. The GICHD has carried out one evaluation of APOPO, has introduced APOPO to the MDD Advisory Group, and has supported a REST workshop in Morogoro in February 2003. The GICHD is mandated by UNMAS to draft the IMAS standards for animal detection, and supervised the first official accreditation tests for rats in cooperation with the national demining Institute of Mozambique (IND).
EU
EU, in co-operation with DGIS, is supporting a 30-month transition phase from research to implementation, including test and validation, capacity building, and development of operational procedures.
Province of Antwerp
Has supported the APOPO project with a yearly grant since 1999.
Flemish Community
Has been funding the fieldwork in Mozambique since February 2003. The Flemish government has approved continued support for the demining work in Mozambique.
Virtue Ventures
APOPO is developing a new business model, in order to create a sustainable social enterprise. APOPO envisions a hybrid organizational structure, incorporating profitable detection services and leveraged social profit activities. This strategy entails drafting of business plans for the respective activities including TB, demining, the training and research center in Tanzania, expansion of the board and development of the required HR structure, as well as a parallel legal structure to support APOPO's social profit activities. APOPO will be assisted by the US based Virtue Ventures, to implement the new structural changes during the coming years.
Philippson Foundation
The Philippson Foundation has committed to assit APOPO in its efforts towards sustainable organizational growth in 2008.
US Army
Through its European Research Office (ERO), the US army financially facilitated the international workshop on ‘Scent detection by Sniffer Animals and electronic noses’, which was held in Morogoro from 27th-30th of august, 2004.
World Bank
The APOPO Tb program won the ‘development marketplace’ competition in 2004, which granted 1 year full support for the tuberculosis detection project.
Denmark against Landmines
Denmark against Landmines chose Apopo as this years recipient of the charity proceeds from the Rosklide Festival in Denmarkthis in July 2008. They are a 100% voluntary anti-landmine organisation based in Copenhagen. Since 2001, Denmark against Landmines has been fighting landmines by raising awareness in Denmark, and by fundraising for mine action in places as Uganda, Somaliland. Burundi, Afghanistan, and Mozambique. Denmark against Landmines is also a member of the Nobel Peace Price-winning International Comittee to Ban Landmines, and is an active force in the Cluster Munitions Coalition's efforts to reach an international ban on cluster bombs.
Private donors
APOPO has received contributions from private individuals and companies, through sponsorship, or direct deposits (Lions, Bacob).
Fundraising campaigns
Since 2004, Mrs. Anita Huybens, a Flemish Artist, has organized a series of very successful fundraising campaigns - based on the sale of ceramic poppies - ‘klaproosproject’, for the benefit of APOPO.
Roots & Shoots
Founded in 1991 by Dr. Jane Goodall and a group of Tanzanian students, the Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen—for communities, for animals and for the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in almost 100 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. Young people identify problems in their communities and take action. Through service projects, youth-led campaigns and an interactive website, Roots & Shoots members are making a difference across the globe. Roots & Shoots is bringing the HeroRAT program to young people all over the world and their communities.
Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
APOPO’s central research and training facilities are based at SUA. In collaboration with the University of Antwerp, SUA established the leading African research centre on rodent biology, the Pest Management Centre. APOPO is operating under this department, and greatly benefits from the institutional support of the University.
Antwerp University (UA)
The Antwerp University, Department of Evolutionary Biology has been the main academic partner since the initiation of the research project and APOPO’s main supporting partner for what concerns rodent biology and logistic support. UA is hosting APOPO’s liaison office at its campus in Belgium. The board members of APOPO are related to the University of Antwerp. The University has also financed the TB pilot study, as well as some infrastructure works.
The Tanzanian Peoples Defense Forces (TPDF)
The TPDF facilitates the presence of the test minefield and have supplied APOPO with the necessary landmines and explosive training targets. Their generous logistic support has been crucial in the realization of the training and testing facilities.
JENEL TVD
Since the start of the APOPO project, JENEL TVD has been APOPO’s main research partner in the field of explosive vapour detection. Dr. Lorne Elias is one of the leading pioneers of explosives trace detection in aviation security. In cooperation with Dr. Elias, APOPO developed some explosive vapour generating devices, as well as a vapour sampling and analysis technique based on Gas Chromatography.
Menschen gegen Minen (MgM)
MgM is a German de-mining organization operational in Angola, Mozambique and Namibia. They have shown their support since the early start of the project and are keen to test out and eventually implement the use of rats in their de-mining operations. APOPO has successfully tested its mine detection rats within the operational set-up of MgM’s Limpopo project in Gaza province, Mozambique, in 2003.
Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA)
NPA is one of the biggest demining NGO’s worldwide. NPA is one of the few demining operators which have experience in both direct MDD detection and indirect MDD detection (REST). APOPO has been co-operating with NPA in Mozambique and is currently preparing joint programme in Sudan.
Accelerated Demining Programme (ADP)
ADP is the largest national humanitarian demining initiative in Mozambique. It is a nationally executed program that operates under auspices of the UNDP. ADP’s main operational focus is on Inhambane Province.
Handicap International (HI)
HI is a well known NGO with worldwide fame, active in Mine victim assistance, and Demining. APOPO and HI have a collaboration agreement in place and have jointly planned an impact demining approach in various High-and Medium-Impact affected communities in Inhambane Province.
Empresa Moçambicana de Desminagem (EMD)
EMD is a Mozambican / South African commercial demining company. In collaboration with EMD, APOPO has done a REST- analysis of 38 km of the national highway E1 from Inharrime to Maxixe (Inhambane Province) as part of preparation for the highway expansion project (June 2004)
The National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR)
NIMR is Tanzania’s main national research institution for tuberculosis. The NIMR plays an important role in the apopo TB project. NIMR helps in the co-ordination of sample collection from 6 DOTS centers in 3 communities in Dar Es Salaam, and is involved in the evaluation monitoring.
The Centre for Tuberculosis Research Laboratory (CTRL) - Muhimbilli
The CTRL, headed by Dr. G.S. Mfinanga at Muhimbili Academic Hospital in Dar Es Salaam functions as a reference lab for the TB tests. CTRL double checks the sputum samples, coming in from peripheral DOTS-centers, by means of cultures and Fluorescent Microscopy.
The National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program (NTLP)
NTLP manages the DOTS-centers in Tanzania. With the current 7 participating DOTS-centers in Dar and Morogoro, the project processes every week around 900 samples, provided by the NTLP.
Stop TB partnership
Stop TB partnership is a worldwide network, hosted by the WHO, in the fight against the spread of Tuberculosis. APOPO is involved in the stop-TB partnership on an information level.
