Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Volume 10 Issue 1 The Journal of Mine Action Article 34

August 2006

No Wizards, Just Patient Teachers

Bart Weetjens APOPO

Jina Kim

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Recommended Citation Weetjens, Bart and Kim, Jina (2006) "No Wizards, Just Patient Teachers," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 10 : Iss. 1 , Article 34. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol10/iss1/34

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. h rsneo adie l vrth oldi niseth n dNa osado e oldognztin r yn ddes u edfiu us o isi o idlnmnsthtaeudtetal sn e ldtetosbcuethet iron-con- ors ect because det al met ers using able ect cent ion hod. undet Mine-act are hat t ect mines. a ilizes unique find met landmines o t o det inhow lies ion ion, ut APOPO, used t now being s are t soils. ain quest One ion organizat ors are not very useful in cert difficul he ect ect dress.But t al det dogs, ing mine-det but and in ad o o be checked, ely. met Since rying t every ect has signal t ors indiscriminat t are ions mine-det of he aid ect organizat d use en t al det worl her met rigger t e soils in Sub-Saharanandot ions of Africa t t at eri edN aining, lat t t Uni he t issue an is d worl he presencee landmines of over all t

became a Team Leader, people and their safety would come first and not the daily result. “Naturally, daily achievements count, and that is how I see a good Team Leader—managing to have high productivity but not jeopardizing safety.” Jennette Townsend Journal of Mine Action The Team Leader Mine Action Information Center As a Team Leader, a day’s work for Bogdany might involve guiding two machines and an eight-person demining team at E-mail: [email protected] the same time. She says this is not too difficult if both the team and the machines are located in the same place or near one another. Silvija Bogdany However, deminers must be at least 200 meters (656 feet) away from each of the machines. “My team is often on one side of the field Technical Advisor/Supervisor and the machines, naturally, are all the way on the other side of the field,” she explains. “In short, I did a lot of walking around like DCA Mine Action Program Sudan some lost fly, and I am dressed in full equipment.” Amarat Street 9, Block 10 Khartoum / Sudan The work not only mentally and physically challenges Bogdany, but it also affects her emotionally. After two Croatian Tel: +882 165 420 3064 deminers were killed and one was badly injured, she says, “My friends try to convince me that this comes with [the] work and I E-mail: [email protected] know that, but somehow I am not satisfied with that answer. I think that Team Leaders and Supervisors are mainly responsible for most accidents.” Damir Jakšić NPA Mine Action Program Croatia She thinks a Team Leader’s most important job is taking care of his or her team and safety on the site. “It is a really big respon- Plemena Lapčana bb sibility and a person must recognize the situation 23420 Benkovac / Croatia and not push it. You must know every person, his Tel: +385 23 684 024 way of thinking and limits. It is hard to work with Fax: +385 23 682 201 people, but the reward is big,” Bogdany says. E-mail: [email protected] “It is difficult to continue with work after every An Interview with in 2003 while pursing a landmine incident. I think that discussing it with Jennette Townsend worked as anJournal Editorial of Mine Assistant Action for the Mine Action the team is better than not talking about it at all. Silvija Information Center and for the What we all can and have to do is learn some- master’s degree at James Madison University. thing from those incidents and try not to bring Where do you see mine actionBogdany in the next 10 to 20 years, and where do you our colleagues and ourselves into a similar situ- fit into that vision? s One ation,” she explains. “I’ve noticed that most ac- thing i certain—there world will cidents happen at the end of the working period. because there always be demining will continuewill for always many years. minefields Weetjens and Kim: No Wizards, Just Patient Teachers I think that concentration falls and everybody is be war somewhere and mine action on the in the nervous and not thinking right.” I think earth. Even that in 10 to if war stops, On Bogdany’s one-year anniversary of being only I would 20 years, demining like to see more will still a Team Leader she said, “My biggest reward is in their work. sophisticated be demining equipment, as it is now, Since which will that I can go to sleep every evening knowing I prefer fieldwork help deminers World to office that my team is okay.” country working work, I vi for an see myself No Wizards, sor, perhaps NGO [nongovernmental somewhere as a demining in a Third- Thinking about the Future in mine-risk education. instructor. organization] I also see as a super by Bart Weetjens [ APOPO ] and If money and other obstacles were no object, howmyself would becoming you go about deal- - Just Patient Teachers “My involvement in mine action has more involved Jina Kim [ Mine Action Information Center] developed much quicker and deeper than ing with the world’s mine problem? I thought it would,” says Bogdany. “I be- ereIf money w with no object, hypothetically APOPO is a Belgian-African nongovernmen- came a Team Leader in just 15 months. I’ve landmines because speaking, begins war we wouldn’t met and become friends with many people because would be an have of money enigma to a problem who are also involved in mine action. I money wasn’t involved—theand Trojan material War. people. Almost tal organization that trains to be at new possessions. every war What do you feel are areas in the demining world Onlythat canone be war improved? have gained more confidence in myself.” started where Looking to the future, she says, “If God nvest I would i mine-detection tool. The authors describe more money gives me health and luck, I will be involved make demining in research easier with and in new in demining until my pension. I just hope work quality. less risk for innovations the basic idea behind this unique concept. I would invest deminers, but that would that everything will turn out right.” quality training and educationmoney for deminers. in at the same new, more sophisticated time improve Bogdany remembers a long talk she Quality equipment assurance and and in With more quality control he presence of landmines all over the world is an issue the had with her sister, Emilija, who retired personnel are of qualified big ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF BART WEETJENS before and to conduct importance United Nations, governments and other world organi- from demining when she got married. during the monitoring to demining. land clearance process of demining zations are trying to address. But the “She told me one thing and I think prior to its and to organizations T difficult question formal conduct are conducted release, it final inspection lies in how to find metal-based landmines using metal about it every now and then. She told in accordance would be ensured of cleared detectors dard operating with International that all clearance because the iron-containing, laterite soils in sub-Saharan Africa me that it was when she quit demin- procedures. Mine processes properly This way Action Standards trigger the detectors indiscriminately. Since every signal has ing that she realized for the first time and that it it would be and to companies. was not just ensured that stan- be checked, this method is not very useful in certain soils. One how dangerous the job is. She is more I have a money chase. the job was tending seen where Perfect examples done organization, APOPO, concerned for me now than she was to finish clearance was are commercial utilizes a unique approach to finding one project not done properly landmines. for herself when she was a deminer. and move on as quickly because In Tanzania and Mozambique, mine-detection rats to another as possible so they were that in the project, and that they can are now being used. Maybe it is better for us not to think money race, after that one, collect money the work are under unnecessarydemining pressure. quality to another and Rats show much promise in furthering mine detection. Alfredo Adamo and his baby rat. about that.” diminishes. so on. I think All Plus, people Like mine-detecting dogs, they in all it who are have a highly developed sense comes down doing of increase productivity but not loweringto good the management safety standards. smell. APOPO trains its rats to detect mines in the field us- and organization, ing vapor-detection technology. trying Since landmines emit a vapor to from the explosives within them, the rats are able to use their e presence of landmines all over t all over of landmines e presence he worl d is an issue t he Unit tlat aining, N ed eri at tt Africa of ions and otSub-Saharan in soils e t riggermet her worldet al t en use d organizat ect he aid of mine-det ions are tindiscriminat ors signalthas ectevery t rying Since met ely. checked, be o o ad in Mozambique Tanzania and but mine-det ing dogs, det al t But dress. ect ect he difficulcertin useful very not are ors organizat ionOne ratquest ain soils. t s are now being t used APOPO,ut ion, ion lies how in o det t olandminesmetfind unique ilizesa mines. ect t hat are Mine-actundet hod. ioncent ect able using ers met aldet because ect ors iron-con- t he h

60 | making it personal | journal of mine action | 2006 | august | 10.1 Published by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2006 10.1 | august | 2006 | journal of mine action | making it personal | 61 1 okudrs esu n u-a od os r uhe locm aetofc ithth hlr rssadwre ngttigspotadsple o eodCoeaTetmn ete ite. t er si du h Médecins ment Cent support ing and supplies for a second Cholera Treat t wi e. Working t t er si ment Cent and worked he cholera get on crisis support ing and supplies for a second Cholera Treat h t t Malakal in ors y t of doct t o face wi ions. Dr. Kushner came also face t he choleraand worked crisis get on t he impressiveabili t h t ressful and t sub-par nessed condi en t as ajournal. his Through work, Dr. o work underKushner has st helped many t he impressiveand t wi t o facet wi ions. Dr. Kushner also came face t t nessed journal. a t as en t work, his Through Dr. helped has manyKushner and wi ressful and sub-par six weeks, condi he first wri t o work under st Monde, icleDr. is his account Kushner spent of t 12 t Malakal in ors weeks working for in a Malakal, mission Sudan. y doct Thisof art six weeks, wri first he t abili account his icleis t of du Monde, Dr. Médecins h Kushner spent 12 Malakal,Sudan. in mission a for weeks working This art t wi Working

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 10, Iss. 1 [2006], Art. 34

but it is not as simple keen sense of smell to detect the mines, Medical as it sounds. It depends on a lot of climatic factors as well. has since discovered APOPO was founded in 1997 and Challenges in explosive samples. It African giant-pouched rats can detect by Adam Kushner, M.D., M.P.H. [ Médecins du Monde ] can also find hidden soon found that mine-detection rats it was not until samples of TNT buried in sand. However, Sudan 2003 that MDRs were used in a real minefield. Working with for APOPO as an Médecins du Monde , Dr. Kushner spent 12 weeks with a Alfredo Adamo, who currently works working for APOPO, I MDR trainer, says, “When I started had been trained in mission in Malakal, Sudan. This article, written as a journal, is his account only saw fully trained animals … that were brought into a real Tanzania. It was the first time MDRs and nervous. We of the first six weeks. Through his work, Dr. Kushner has helped many minefield, and we were all pretty excited and accredited.” work now with 18 MDR teams, all tested and its MDR Adamo has been working with APOPO Alfredo Adamo looks to see what interests his baby rat. and witnessed the impressive ability of doctors in Malakal to work in Adamo works with program for three years. On average, 12 rats daily. stressful and sub-par conditions. He also came face to face with Adamo has pro- Originally from Limpopo, Mozambique, rats to learning to gressed from working with fully trained the cholera crisis and worked to get support and supplies for invited Adamo to train baby rats himself. APOPO recently He says that dur- learn how to train baby rats in Tanzania. he will be taught “to a second Cholera Treatment Center site. ing the three months he will be in Tanzania, 1 up to a level where they can train two babies from clicker training [independently] for training walk on a leash in the open, searching provides me with sufficient targets in a sandbox. … This training the whole training process, and to teach skills on how to handle t is the end of my first day in Malakal, Sudan, but all that Adamo, the purpose of the matters are others how to train rats.” According to the orange streaks accentuating the indigo of rat training. hues of the clouds, darkness training course is to “learn the finesses slowly descending after the sunset, and the almost palpable silence. Tanzania MDR I Mozambican The idea is to [one day] create an independent Across the river, a flat plain extends for miles. opportunity to Little grows and there are reach that goal, APOPO gives us the no houses or signs of activity; capacity. To - it looks like a no-man’s-land. On our side, an MDR program, especially the prepara the eastern learn all the aspects of bank, a beehive of activity is slowly continuing. Long, metal, we lacked so far in Mozambique.” canoe-like tory training stages, which boats discharge their passengers or bound-up, brown, taupe and tame, which is useful in de- Rats are also easy to train and khaki bundles of bamboo, balsa and thatch—the building Adamo, “Rats work quite ma- tecting mines quickly. According to terials throughout the region. The piles are less] on their stacked and stretch in from their trainers. [They depend random patterns along the shore. independently ani- Traders and passengers amble than dogs do, which allows the slowly by; trainer’s personal affection” some climb into smaller boats and head further up or by multiple handlers. In addition, due down mals to be easily directed the river to neighboring villages. Malakal, the city where they are less likely than dogs or hu- I to the small size of the rats, Bart Weetjens initiated the idea of using rats for landmine detection. His focus will stay for the next two to three months, is mine or unexploded ordnance. mans to trigger an undetected is the development of the direct detection concept and the coordination of considered the gateway to southern Sudan. It is 2 Weetjens is a product development engineer and a They are also less costly to maintain. the Project. the capital of the Upper Nile state and home to giant pouched rats can usually practicing Zen monk. In a real minefield, trained more than 150,000 people. With a peace agree- yards) within a half hour. process 100 square meters (120 square ment reached in 2005 between the north and a leash. While one trainer re- Two trainers guide a single rat on south, a civil war that raged for more than two other trainer PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM KUSHNER for correct indication or behavior, the decades ended. Daily, more wards a rat lo- and more former refu- to ensure that the rat has indeed gees return will note the rat’s behavior Bart Weetjens to the south seeking jobs and a way ordnance. MDRs show that cated a mine or piece of unexploded SUA-APOPO to rebuild their lives. They also return to untold scratching the soil surface they have located a mine or UXO by Sokoine University of Agriculture numbers of landmines. in the vicinity of the mine. PO Box 3078 But at this time of day the Nile is quiet. all else Morogoro / Tanzania Masses APOPO trainers must be patient above of green and brown Adamo thinks Tel: +255 23 2600 635 reeds and other debris—small these animals. “You don’t need to be when it comes to training Fax: +255 23 2600 636 floating islands, some only a few inches in diame - a lot of patience. And in Jina Kim has worked for to train rats. You merely need E-mail: [email protected] ter, some many yards across—float rapidly a wizard to the Mine Action Information north- has a problem that I don’t know how ward, case one of my animals Center since January 2006. downstream. Flocks of heron or other trainers around to Alfred Adamo are always more experienced She is currently a senior at such birds fly in V-formations. New home constructed in the minefield in Malakal. deal with, there APOPO Mine Detection Rats Occasionally a James Madison University goat help me out,” he says. P.O. Box 649 saunters by uttering a strident beeehhh, working towards her Bachelor For additional references for this article, please visit http://maic. / Mozambique interrupting the silence. A few teenagers ap- of Arts in technical and scien- jmu.edu/journal/10.1/weetjens/weetjens.htm/#addlrefs. Tel: +258 82 3180990 proach and practice their limited English skills. See Endnotes, page 112 tific communication. They smile and are eager to hear a response. “How are Jina Kim you?” they cry with heavy Editorial Assistant accents. One shows off his Journal of Mine Action knowledge with a hearty “Good morning, teacher!” Mine Action Information Center E-mail: [email protected] e presence of alllandmines tover he worl d is an issue t tbecause he Uni t he iron-cont aining, lat ed N at eri metunique t ions and tot Africa Mine-act hod. e soils in Sub-Saharan rigger met her ion centworl al det d organizat ers of t ect ions are t ors indiscriminat t en use signal rying hast t every Since ely. met o o be he aid checked, ad of mine-det tBut dress. al det ect he ectdifficul in Mozambique Tanzania and but mine-det ing dogs, useful in cert orsvery are not quest t organizat One ain soils. ect ion lies in ion APOPO, ion, how ratut t ofind landmines s are now being t used ilizes a o dett hat are undet mines. ect ect able using met aldet ect ors h https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol10/iss1/3462 | making it personal | journal of mine action | 2006 | august | 10.1 2 10.1 | august | 2006 | journal of mine action | making it personal | 63