Bart Weetjens
Ashoka Fellow since 2006   |   Belgium

Bart Weetjens

APOPO
Leftover landmines and explosives threaten more than a third of the world’s countries. They remain active long after hostilities end, causing terror, killing indiscriminately and hampering the…
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When Mozambique declared itself free of known minefields in 2015, Bart left APOPO to deepen his meditation practice and explore its relation to social change. He currently lives in Belgium and is working on The Wellbeing Project (http://www.wellbeing-project.org/).

This description of Bart Weetjens's work was prepared when Bart Weetjens was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2006.

Introduction

Leftover landmines and explosives threaten more than a third of the world’s countries. They remain active long after hostilities end, causing terror, killing indiscriminately and hampering the development of vulnerable communities.Bart Weetjens has trained Giant Pouched Rats to effectively detectRead more

The New Idea

Bart’s cheaper, quicker, more scalable, yet efficient technology relies on the high olfactory sense of the African Giant Pouched rat that is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Bart forms teams of three trained human deminers and one trained rat to detect mines. Relying on local populations to form theRead more

The Problem

The last half century has seen numerous wars break out in Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and the Middle East. These wars resulted in planting millions of landmines and long after their end, this deadly legacy continues to claim thousands of lives. According to the InternationalRead more

The Strategy

Bart was finally convinced about the need for cheaper technologies when he analyzed the landmine problem in Africa in 1995. He was surprised by the complexity and high technological levels of new technologies, by and large proposed by research institutions outside the continent. Bart knew that itRead more

The Person

On his ninth birthday, Bart Weetjens got a hamster for a present. This set the beginning of a long fascination with rodents. He spent a substantial part of his early teenage life raising hamsters, mice, and rats, and distributing them to pet shops for sale. He also developed a liking for weaponry,Read more

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