We have teamed up with the Christian charity Send a Cow to launch a new training programme in Ethiopia to improve the health and welfare of donkeys - and thereby the livelihood of poor families.
The Sanctuary has been working in Ethiopia since 1986 and with the help of donations received from our supporters, we now have a donkey hospital in Ethiopia equipped with an operating theatre, laboratory and recovery stables. The Sanctuary also operates a number of mobile clinics throughout Ethiopia visiting donkeys and owners to provide veterinary aid to some of the hardest working equines in the country.
The training programme will be over a period of one year which will hopefully lead to further training initiatives.
Stephen Blakeway our Director of International Operations goes on to say: "Teaming up with other organisations to improve donkey welfare, helping them to add that ‘donkey dimension’, is an effective way to spread the impact of our work.
In this case, Send a Cow have realised the importance of donkeys in the lives of their partner communities. Through our training, the donkey owners will be better able to keep their donkeys fit and healthy. This will benefit the donkeys and their owners."
The Donkey Sanctuary will be providing 75% of the funding for the £6,500 training project, with the remainder provided by Send a Cow.
I am particulary interested in this work. I have just returned from Ethiopia. I visited two rural donkey clinics and also spoke at length to Dr Bojia at Addis university. The challenge he and his team have is getting the donkey welfare message out to the families who use the donkey for esential daily work. Donkeys carry heavy loads such as water, salt, grain often strapped onto the donkey with synthetic twine which cuts into the donkey's skin. His team also provides vital education on foot care and wound care, worming routines and care for the coughing donkey.
The department currently have a campaign in 40 Ethiopian schools called 'Love your Donkey' which is aimed at children to take the message home to parents and other relatives and back to their communities in general.
It was good to see the donkey in its natural environment as I have kept donkeys here in the Uk. Just being with them I have learned lots about their UK cousins. I am keen to know more about 'Send a Cow' and the work they are involved in.
Deborah