 Both Weetjens and Cox had previously collaborated in a not-for-profit organisation which had been headed by 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 in Morogoro, Tanzania, and placed an order for the import of Giant Rats.In 2003 APOPO was awarded a grant from the World Bank, which provided seed funding to research another application of the rats