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49-615: In Morogoro, the non-profit organization APOPO trains Gambian pouched rats known as HeroRATS , for landmine detection as well as the detection of tuberculosis . Notably, the Sokoine University of Agriculture is based in Morogoro. The city is also home to various missions that provide educational and medical facilities, benefiting the local community. The Mindu Dam, situated on the Ngerengere River , stands as

98-519: A TB Scientific Advisory Committee to provide credibility. APOPO also has a research and development centre. As of May 2024, APOPO employs over 450 staff in local operations and internationally, and has 279 rats and 79 dogs in various stages of breeding, detection training, research, or operations. Full training takes approximately nine months on average, and is followed by a series of accreditation tests. Once trained, rats are able to work for approximately four to five years before they get retired. All of

147-508: A day. The rats make it possible to mass-screen many samples. They work at low cost and a fast pace. APOPO suggests it increased the detection of TB patients by over 40%. In 2015 the rats screened more than 40,000 sputum samples, thereby identifying over 1,150 positive samples that were missed by microscopy. APOPO assisted Maputo DOTS public health clinics increase TB detection rate by 48% and contributed to halting 3,800 potential TB infections. Over 9,166 presumptive TB patients evaluated by

196-608: A delegation to the World Conference of Mayors . San Francisco and Osaka, Japan's partnership, that began in 1957, has led to disaster relief, student exchanges, business partnerships and global cultural exchanges creating one of the most famous sister city partnerships. Originally part of the National League of Cities , Sister Cities International became a separate, nonprofit corporation in 1967. On June 4, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to

245-551: A devastating incident when a fuel tanker exploded in the town. The explosion led to the loss of 100 lives and caused injuries to at least 47 others. This event stands as one of the most significant disasters of its nature to occur in Tanzania. [REDACTED] Media related to Morogoro at Wikimedia Commons APOPO APOPO ( Dutch : Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Product Ontwikkeling , lit.   'Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Product Development' )

294-637: A lead guitarist and singer-songwriter in Tanzania. Additionally, the Amani Center in Morogoro provides support to over 3,400 disabled individuals in the surrounding villages. The city of Milwaukee , in the state of Wisconsin , United States, has a sister city relationship with Morogoro, as designated by Sister Cities International . Additionally, Morogoro is twinned with Linköping in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland. On August 10, 2019, Morogoro experienced

343-468: A long dated history, sister cities trace back to the partnership of British Cities and European cities following the Second World War . In 1947, Bristol began a partnership with Hanover which included exchanges of goods, music and student exchanges. This partnership has continued uninterrupted ever since. In 1931, Toledo, Ohio and Toledo, Spain entered a partnership, making Toledo, Ohio

392-556: A not-for-profit organisation that had been headed by Prof. Mic Billet, and together they started building a kennel facility for the training and breeding of African giant pouched rats. They contacted the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) in Morogoro , Tanzania , and placed an order for the import of Gambian pouched rats. Initial financial support came in 1997 from Belgian government foreign development aid funds. In 2000 it moved its training and headquarters to SUA, partnering with

441-461: A pet owner, Bart Weetjens, one of the co-founders, came across an article about gerbils being used as scent detectors. He believed that rats, with their strong sense of smell and ability to be trained, could provide a better means to detect landmines. Weetjens's former university lecturer Prof. Mic Billet, the founder of the Institute for Product Development at Antwerp University , fully supported

490-406: A shared industry focus on biotechnology and education , an appreciation for the arts , and a deep cultural connection to food , whereas Chicago, Illinois' link with Warsaw , Poland began with Chicago's historic Polish community . The scope of the relationship between sister cities is broadly defined, with many sectors of public life open for engagement. After elected signatories process

539-534: A six-month acclimatization and training period, 14 out of the 16 rats were accredited by CMAC in November 2015 to be used in mine clearance operations. Two Cambodian handlers spent six months in the training centre in Tanzania. By June 2016 the first minefield was cleared. In 2017 a visitor centre was opened in Siem Reap . APOPO operational headquarters, including the training and research centers, are based at

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588-459: A target scent. According to the type of specialization, a series of training stages are followed, each one building on skills learned in the previous stage. The complexity of their tasks gradually increases until they have to do a final blind test . Rats that fail the test are retired and are cared for the rest of their life. When the southern giant pouched rats ( Cricetomys ansorgei ) used by APOPO are flown in, they must first be acclimatised to

637-590: A virtual conference occurring on July 14, 2022, featuring elected officials, organization leaders, and various citizens, all given a venue to speak as the Ukrainians fight in the Russo-Ukrainian War . This expression of citizen-to-citizen diplomacy has fostered participation in the international relations of multiple localities. SCI allows individual citizens to achieve global impact through efforts within their own local US communities. According to

686-489: Is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with the goal of facilitating partnerships between communities within the United States and other countries by establishing sister cities. Sister cities are agreements of mutual support formally recognized by the civic leaders of those cities. A total of 1,800 cities, states, and counties have partnered in 138 countries. As an organization that links jurisdictions in

735-486: Is a registered Belgian non-governmental organisation and US non-profit which trains southern giant pouched rats and technical survey dogs to detect landmines and tuberculosis . They call their trained animals 'HeroRATs' and 'HeroDOGs'. APOPO started as an R&D organization in Belgium in the 1990s, working with the support of research and government grants to develop the concept of Detection Rats Technology. As

784-622: Is home to several notable universities and colleges, including Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Muslim University of Morogoro , St. Joseph University College, and Jordan University College . Mzumbe University is located approximately 26 kilometers south of the town along the Iringa Highway. The municipality also houses renowned institutions such as Ardhi Institute Morogoro, Morogoro Teachers College, and LITI (Livestock Training Institute). Morogoro boasts several notable secondary schools, including Kilakala Girls High School, one of

833-639: Is host to the Morogoro International School, an English-language institution established in 1975. In Morogoro, transportation options include public transport buses called dala dalas, which cater to commuting needs within the town and nearby areas. The fares for these buses usually range from Tsh. 500 to 700 for trips within the town to nearby locations. For quicker travel within the town, motorcycles, known as boda bodas , and three-wheeled vehicles called Bajajs are popular choices. The fares for these modes of transportation vary based on

882-679: The Sokoine University of Agriculture in Morogoro, Tanzania. It has field offices for its mine action programmes in Mozambique, Angola and Cambodia as of 2016. The TB programmes are operational in Tanzania and Mozambique, with offices based in Morogoro, Dar es Salaam and Maputo. It has also two fundraising offices in Switzerland and in the United States, and an administrative support office in Antwerp (Belgium). An APOPO foundation

931-612: The Tanzanian People's Defence Force . In 2003 APOPO was awarded a grant from the World Bank , which provided seed funding to research another application of the rats: tuberculosis (TB) detection at SUA. Weetjens got a three-year personal grant from Ashoka: Innovators for the Public in 2007. A TB detection program in Tanzania was launched in mid-2007 as a partnership with four government clinics. In 2008 proof of principle

980-585: The U.S. Conference of Mayors . Zelenskyy asked that cities in the United States take part in rebuilding Ukraine by developing ties between localities that can leverage resources allocated to the effort to repair damaged social infrastructure. Cities in the US have been delivering humanitarian aid to support their sister cities in Ukraine. Poltava, Ukraine has been a sister city of Irondequoit, New York , since June 29, 1992, due to an agreement signed by Anatonij Kukoba,

1029-534: The Democratic Republic of Congo. 49 hectares were cleared. The 52 ha (130 acres) Malele site was cleared one year in advance. In 2016 rats assisted clearance at a site in Ndondele Mpasi, Zaire province. In early 2014 the national Cambodia Mine Action Centre (CMAC) started demining a site, with the help of Norwegian Peoples Aid, using conventional mine clearance methods. Following

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1078-528: The NGO, the main advantage over conventional methods is speed. They point to past studies that show that less than three percent of landmine-suspected land actually contains any landmines. Animals such as dogs or rats detect only explosives and ignore scrap metal, such as old coins, nuts and bolts, etc., thus they are able to check areas of land faster than conventional methods. They claim that one rat can check 200 m (2,200 sq ft) in around 20 minutes. In

1127-1021: The Polish government, the United Nations Development Programme , the National Institutes of Health , USAID , HDIF , the European Union , the Province of Antwerp , the World Bank , the UBS Optimus Foundation, Trafigura Group , JTIF, the Skoll Foundation , Only The Brave Foundation and the lotteries from Sweden, the UK and Holland. It also receives money from private donors and public fundraising campaigns. Sister Cities International Sister Cities International ( SCI )

1176-454: The SCI platform, the organization seeks to mobilize a network of international organizations and expand participation in spheres driving democratic values , humanitarian relief , financial markets , and good governance organizations . Irondequoit hosted Ukrainian delegates from Congress' Open World program . To inform the public for generations to come, the citizens of Irondequoit instituted

1225-934: The TB detection program was replicated in 2013 at a clinic in Maputo , Mozambique, at the veterinary department of the Eduardo Mondlane University . In 2014, in partnership with the Central Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, the National Institute of Medical Research and the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia , a study undertaken to determine the accuracy of the rats in a population of presumptive TB patients. In 2014 five additional health centres joined

1274-495: The TB detection programme in Maputo. In 2016 APOPO covered almost 100% of all the suspect TB patients who go to clinics in the city, and the TB detection program in Tanzania had expanded to 28 clinics in three areas and processed around 800 samples per week. After the first 11 rats were given accreditation according to International Mine Action Standards in 2004, beginning in 2006 machinery for ground preparation, manual deminers and

1323-495: The U.S. with communities worldwide, Sister Cities International recognizes, registers, and coordinates relationships among cities, counties, provinces , and other subnational entities at various levels. Sister city partnerships often share similar demographics and town sizes. These partnerships may arise from business connections, travel , similar industries, diaspora communities, or shared history. For example, Portland , Oregon and Bologna , Italy's partnership arose from

1372-486: The agreement between sister cities, it is submitted to the main branch of SCI and kept on file at the Washington, DC , office. SCI's CEO has advocated for sustained relations between existing sister cities programs even in times of conflict. Sister Cities International also recognizes "Friendship City" affiliations. These are less formal arrangements that may be a step towards a full sister city affiliation. Having

1421-400: The city worked with it. The key advantage of the rats is speed. Public clinics use microscopy to detect TB; this is slow and imprecise. In Mozambique only 50% of TB positive patients tested at clinics are actually identified, so the rats are used to double check the samples. According to the NGO, one trained rat can evaluate 40 samples in 7 minutes, which a laboratory technician can process in

1470-547: The dam's vicinity has accelerated sedimentation, adversely affecting its capacity. In an effort to mitigate these challenges, a program funded by USAID/MCC, with a budget of $ 8.31 million, was initiated in 2012–13. The program's objective was to restore the quality of drinking water resources from the Uluguru Mountains by establishing an inlet and treatment plant near the Regional Governance offices at

1519-645: The distance traveled. In the Tanzanian Premier League , Morogoro is represented by the football club Mtibwa Sugar F.C. The city is also known for its musical heritage. Salim Abdullah, the founder of the Cuban Marimba Band, hails from Morogoro, and the Morogoro Jazz Band was established in 1944. During the mid-1960s to the 1970s, Morogoro was home to Mbaraka Mwinshehe, a highly influential musician known for his skills as

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1568-598: The field, the practical rate is slower: rats are capable of searching up to 400 m (4,300 sq ft) each per day as part of a team that includes conventional equipment. The rats are indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa so are suited to tropical climates and could be resistant to many endemic diseases . Few resources are needed to train and raise a rat to adulthood, and they have a lifespan of six to eight years. Furthermore, rats do not form bonds with specific trainers like dogs but rather are motivated to work for food, so trained rats can be transferred between handlers. In

1617-399: The first sister city in the US. The first official U.S. sister city program began in 1956, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a people-to-people citizenship diplomacy. President Dwight D. Eisenhower hoped that the possibilities of future world conflicts would decrease through the implementation of sister cities. In order to establish these relationships, the United States sent

1666-599: The government with clearing five provinces. Sixteen rats were maintained in the country at the request of the government in order to carry out residual (mop-up) tasks. In Angola APOPO has worked for Norwegian People's Aid since 2012. From 2013 to 2015 up to 31 rats assisted demining by heavy machinery and people with metal detectors at two sites, Ngola-Luije in Malanje and in Malele in Zaire Province , bordering

1715-476: The handlers to safely walk on. The rats wear harnesses connected to a rope suspended between two handlers. Rats are led to search a demarcated zone of 10 x 20m (200 m  [2,200 sq ft]) and indicate the scent of explosives usually by scratching at the ground. The points indicated by the rats are marked, and then followed up later by technicians using metal detectors; the mines that are found are then excavated by hand and destroyed. According to

1764-457: The heat, limiting their output. Manual demining teams are still the globally preferred method of landmine clearance, and currently, APOPO is the only organisation in the world to use giant rats. Sputum samples that have already been conventionally tested are retested by the rats. The rats sniff a series of holes in a glass chamber, under which sputum samples are placed. When a rat detects tuberculosis (TB), it indicates this by keeping its nose in

1813-629: The idea and made his personal resources available for further investigation and promotion of the new initiative. After consulting with Professor Ron Verhagen, rodent expert at the department of evolutionary biology of the University of Antwerp , the Gambian pouched rat was determined to be the best candidate due to its longevity and African origin. The APOPO project was launched on 1 November 1997 by Bart Weetjens and his former schoolmate Christophe Cox. Both Weetjens and Cox had previously collaborated in

1862-435: The minefields, the rats are too light to detonate a pressure-activated mine when walking over it. Their small size also means that they can be more easily transported to sites than dogs. It has been noted that rats cannot search reliably in areas of thick vegetation and often search more erratically than humans, offering a lower level of assurance that the land is mine-free. Additionally, they can only work for short periods in

1911-528: The oldest in the country and previously known as Marian College. The region is also home to Morogoro Secondary School, formerly Aga Khan Secondary School, Forest Hill Secondary, Jabal Hira Muslim Secondary, Kigurunyembe Secondary, Lutheran Junior Seminary, St. Francis de Sales Seminary, Kimamba Secondary, Sua Secondary, Ifakara Secondary, St. Peter's Seminary, Lupanga Practising Secondary School (a recently established institution near Kigurunyembe Teacher's College), and Kola Hill Secondary School. Additionally, Morogoro

1960-439: The primary water source for Morogoro, meeting approximately 80% of the city's water demands. Despite its critical role, the dam has been a focal point of controversy since its inception in 1978. The formation of a reservoir behind the dam has led to a surge in bilharzia infection rates, while the city's water supply has suffered pollution from mercury runoff originating from nearby gold mining activities. Furthermore, deforestation in

2009-425: The rats are bred and trained in the Morogoro breeding and training centre. One rat costs approximately 6,000 euros to train. Training starts with socialization at the age of 5–6 weeks and then through the principles of ' operant conditioning '. After two weeks they learn to associate a "click" sound with a food reward – banana or peanuts. Once they know that "click" means food, the rats are ready to be trained on

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2058-486: The rats assisted with detection in long-running mine clearance operations in Mozambique . Tasked in 2008 as the sole operator to clear Gaza Province , the province was mine-free in 2012, one year ahead of schedule. In 2013 the government allowed APOPO to expand its operations in Maputo , Manica , Sofaka and Tete provinces. Mozambique was officially declared free of all landmines on 17 September 2015. APOPO assisted

2107-624: The rats in 2015, 666 missed by conventional methods were diagnosed. In 2015 APOPO began a study with the support of the USAID, screening prisoners in Tanzanian and Mozambican jails for tuberculosis. This study aimed to convince decision makers of the rats' use. In 2015 to 2016 more than 2,500 prisoners were to be tested for TB in Mozambique and Tanzania. APOPO has been funded by the Belgian , Flemish , Norwegian and Liechtenstein governments,

2156-506: The sample hole and/or scratching at the floor of the cage. The program began in Tanzania in 2007, double-checking samples from four government clinics, by 2016 some 1000 samples a week were sent by 24 clinics in and around Dar es Salaam and Morogoro. The rats have been screening samples from clinics in Mozambique since 2013. APOPO have a facility at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo. In 2015 14 health centres in

2205-451: The specific country, and be accredited by the local national agency, which takes a number of months. Rats are only a component of integrated demining operations. Metal detectors and mechanical demining machines are also still necessary. Before the rats can be used, the land must first be prepared with special heavy machinery to cut the brush to ground level. Paths must also be cleared by conventional metal detectors at every 2m intervals for

2254-469: The then President of Poltava City Council, and Fredrick W. Lapple, the then Town Supervisor of Irondequoit. The agreement between Irondequoit and Poltava states that their sister city relationship never expires. Former Irondequoit Supervisor Lapple formed a committee to locate a city willing to partner in the interest of honoring the Ukrainian community active in his town. The relationship is ongoing with

2303-731: The upper end of Boma Road. This initiative aimed to benefit the Morogoro Water Supply Authority (MORUWASA) by enhancing the quality and availability of water resources. The city is situated at the foothills of the Uluguru Mountains and serves as a significant agricultural center in the region. Morogoro is the site of many Sisal plantations. The climate in Morogoro is warm and tropical with average highs ranging from 32 °C (90.7 °F) to 27.8 °C (82.6 °F), and lows ranging from 16.7 °C (62.1 °F) to 12.4 °C (54.3 °F). Morogoro

2352-530: Was established in Geneva in 2015 to support APOPO's global activities with financial resources, networking among mine clearance and tuberculosis stakeholders, and increasing visibility. An office was set up in the United States to better access important institutional donors and public funding. The U.S. office was registered as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization in 2015, which enables public and corporation donations to be tax deductible. In 2014 APOPO set up

2401-461: Was provided in using trained rats to detect pulmonary tuberculosis in human sputum samples. In 2010 a research plan to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of the rats in diagnosing tuberculosis was started. The same year APOPO developed an automated training cage in order to remove human bias. The rats' response is measured by optical sensors and the cage produces an automated click sound with food delivery. Following results in Tanzania,

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