Support APOPO's HeroRATs' life-saving missions!

Welcome to the latest update on your incredible support of the HeroRATs! 

Landmine Detection

Thanks to your continuous support, our HeroRATs and manual demining teams have cleared land previously contaminated with landmines and other explosive remnants of war, which threatened the lives and livelihoods of the people living nearby. Your support has freed people so they can now safely grow crops, graze cattle, develop infrastructure, and most importantly play freely knowing they are safe. Tuberculosis (TB) patients have been diagnosed and continue with treatment, and our TB detection research programs enable getting patients on treatment thanks to your help. Your contributions truly do save thousands of lives every year.

Across Angola, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, and South Sudan a total of 1,687,709 sqm of land has been released and 153 landmines, explosive remnants of war, or cluster munitions have been detected and safely removed since your last update. An impressive achievement in just one quarter – thank you!

In this update, we wanted to highlight our visitor center in Cambodia, which saw record-breaking numbers of visitors last year. Our visitor center lies in the shadow of the glorious Angkor Wat temple, amidst the bustling charm of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Rather than focusing on Cambodia’s majestic architecture and history, here the stars are, you guessed it, our HeroRATs!

Managed by Sambat Meas, the APOPO Visitor Center captures interest through the demonstrations of the rats’ landmine detection skills. Seeing them at work challenges visitors’ preconceptions about rats and highlights their contribution to humanitarian work. “People most enjoy seeing the rats in action,” Sambat says, noting the transformation in visitors’ perceptions from skepticism to admiration. Visitors also get a chance to handle and take pictures with the adorable APOPO rats. “Everyone walks out of the door with their minds changed. Some people who arrive hate rats, but then they end the tour loving our rats!”

The landmines are remnants of Cambodia’s 20th-century conflicts and while it is safe for tourists to visit the country, daily life in rural areas is still fraught with danger, which is why your support of our HeroRATs' is so vital. If you or someone you know is planning a trip to Cambodia, please spread the word about this incredible stop on the way to, or from, Angkor Wat.

Tuberculosis Detection

Our HeroRATs continue their screening of tuberculosis (TB) in Tanzania and Ethiopia, saving not only the patient who can start treatment immediately but also the community the patient lives in from infection. 

Did you know that previous patients now form a large part of our community outreach program? These volunteers in Tanzania formed a community-based organization called MKUTA. Like HIV, there is much stigma surrounding TB because of the lack of understanding of the disease and these volunteers spread awareness. People often think that there is no cure and many fear social isolation because they can spread the disease through the air. MKUTA works to educate patients and their communities and support patients so they finish their full course of treatment, which is vital for health.  

APOPO and the HeroRATs continue to find on average 40% more tuberculosis cases than the clinics using microscopy alone,  making the rats a vital part of tuberculosis detection in these countries. 

Research and Innovation

Our Research and Innovation Team at Tanzania Headquarters continues their groundbreaking research into new ways our HeroRATs can be applied to save lives. Our search and rescue project, where we are training the HeroRATs to detect people buried in rubble is set to make some advances this year, so do keep your eyes peeled for RescueRAT initiatives later this year! 

Thank you so much again for your dedicated support – we honestly could not do what we do, without it. 

Links:

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