By Emma Mortiboy | Public Fundraising
We hope this email finds you well and filled with pride as we share your latest impact update on your support of our HeroRATs.
Our HeroRATs continue to use their amazing noses to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis, freeing people from fear and we have, as you know, seen the expansion of our mine action programs.
In Azerbaijan, APOPO’s HeroRATs have proven their ability to reliably confirm the presence or absence of landmines, accelerating the process of reclaiming previously suspected land for productive use. We are also delighted to let you know that 15 new mine-detection HeroRATs have safely arrived in Azerbaijan and are now successfully deployed! The focus in Azerbaijan has been on surveying and clearing at least 850,000 m2 of land before winter arrives. Throughout the winter months, the animal teams will undergo maintenance training in indoor facilities, resuming their operations in March 2024.
Meanwhile, in Angola, we hosted a visit from the Japanese embassy to our de-mining program, and a delegate spokesman said during the visit, that they were incredibly impressed with APOPO and our HeroRATs. They have even pledged their continued support, which is great news for the people of Angola.
Manuel Agostinho, APOPO’s Program Manager in Angola, stated: “So far, APOPO has managed to clear around 4.5 million square meters of land. We are clearing approximately 1 million square meters per year. If we double our operational capacity, we can do much more. Our work so far has benefited directly and indirectly around 106,000 people by releasing agricultural land. We will continue with this work because there are still people waiting for land to be cleared so they can farm it.”
In Cambodia, APOPO recently hosted a delegation from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) to provide insights into our mine-detection methods and the transformation of hazardous minefields into safe agricultural land, as part of the "Minefields to Rice Fields" initiative. This visit aimed to showcase the tangible outcomes of APOPO's work and demonstrate how the clearance of hazardous areas supports sustainable agriculture.
The "Minefields to Rice Fields" project, launched in April 2023, is a collaborative effort involving the UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), APOPO, Cordaid, and three private family foundations. Its primary objective is to clear over 3.8 million square meters of land and to increase the agricultural income of beneficiary farmers, initially in Preah Vihear province, by over 30% by March 2025. This project is globally recognized as the first development impact bond for mine action, noteworthy for its unique integration of two distinct sectors: mine clearance and agricultural development.
During the FCDO visit, representatives observed APOPO's HeroRATs’ landmine detection capabilities, and the visit underscored APOPO's pivotal role in creating safer environments for communities to reclaim and cultivate their land.
Exciting new developments!
As you know, our HeroRATs have already shown that they are a cost-efficient and highly accurate asset in detecting tuberculosis. In recent research, APOPO's HeroRATs now show promise in identifying Brucella bacteria, responsible for the zoonotic disease Brucellosis. This advancement, in collaboration with Sokoine University, could significantly impact health and agriculture in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. Exciting possibilities await in this novel approach to tackling a challenging health and economic issue.
Also, we continue to train our HeroRATs to detect wildlife contraband and to search and rescue victims in building collapses. With your support, we hope to see our HeroRATs saving even more lives in new and exciting ways in the coming year!
Our work is only enabled through support such as yours, so thank you for helping to save lives, and we hope you continue to support our HeroRATs in their efforts!
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us: herorats@apopo.org
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