As a parent and having visited our projects in Egypt and Ethiopia, I realise the lifestyle our children lead in the UK is somewhat different to those led by children in developing countries, particularly when it comes to household chores and levels of responsibility.
In countries like those we work in (Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Mexico) donkeys provide essential transport to millions of people living below the poverty line; and though taken for granted, they are often a family’s most reliable helper.
In fact children usually have a responsibility to help look after or work with donkeys. Here are some children for you to meet who have been helped by our charity's overseas project teams through advice about how they can look after their donkeys better and the veterinary care we provide for their donkeys.
These children have a tough life, and so do the donkeys. What is so lovely about the Sanctuary's work is that by helping the donkeys, we help the children and their parents too. I hope you agree!
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Babita
Age: 12 years old From: India About this picture: Babita is with her seven-year old brother Bablu and their family donkey, also named Bablu! |
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Why Babita has a donkey:
Her mum and dad rely on this donkey to carry bricks and sand at a building site in New Delhi where they live (in a tent) and work. Babita's typical day: My parents can't afford to send us to school. I collect our drinking water during the day and must help look after the donkey after it's finished work, which means finding scraps of food for him. |
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Kassech
Age: 8 years old From: Ethiopia About this picture: This is Kassech with her younger brother travelling to Lake Hawassa in Southern Ethiopia to refill the family's water containers. |
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Why Kassech has a donkey:
The donkey, called Bullo, has a vast workload as there are ten people in Kassech's family and Bullo is their only form of transport. Kassech's typical day: In the morning I assist my elder sister in making breakfast. Then I go to school at Hogoba Primary School and spend the morning there. In the afternoon I help my family with some house chores like cooking, fetching water and wood and sometimes go to the market for shopping. If I have nothing else to do I play with my friends near Hawassa Lake. In the evening I help give Bullo water and food and I do my homework and go to sleep. |
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Uriel
Age: 9 years old From: Mexico About this picture: Uriel is riding his donkey Firigaño and is helping to collect drinking water. |
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Why Uriel has a donkey:
Firigaño can carry four water containers at a time and Uriel could only carry one! He is their only mode of transport and helps carry all sorts of goods for the family. Uriel's typical day: Every morning, we make up to five trips down and back up the hill to collect our water. When we get back my sister and I boil the water on the wood stove, so we can take a bath. Then we have breakfast, do some homework and play. In the afternoon I go to the school. In the evenings, I look after Firigaño feeding him grass and sometimes oats. |
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Avenesh
Age: 13 years old From: India About this picture: These are all donkeys owned by Avenash and his family. They are grazing outside his home. |
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Why Avenash has donkeys:
His family owns several donkeys, who are all used by the family to work in local brick kilns carrying building materials. Avenash's typical day: I wake up early in the morning (about 4am) and go with my father to search for our donkeys and to give them food and water. They then go off to work with my father and if I don't have school, I will work too. Then I study before helping my mother to sweep the house as she works very hard. I am from a poor family and I want to be a teacher and give my parents a good life. I love my all donkeys very much - they are part of my family; they also work very hard. |
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Shee
Age: 13 years old From: Kenya About this picture: This is Shee with his donkey Rupa and they have been very good friends since Shee was 7 years old. Rupa is a calm and intelligent donkey - even obeying simple voice commands such as stop! |
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Why Shee has a donkey:
Whilst Shee's family has several donkeys, Rupa is the one he always rides to carry farm produce back to the house and on to the market. They are a huge help to all the family. Shee's typical day: I normally go to school but in the mornings, evenings and weekends I must help look after all the donkeys with my brothers. The donkeys help us a lot so we should love them and be good friends to them. |
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Radwan
Age: 14 years old From: Egypt About this picture: Radwan is guiding a donkey and cart into a kiln with bricks to be fired. Why he has a donkey: Radwan comes to work and uses the team of 15 donkeys at this particular brick kiln. They are small enough, even with a cart, to fit through the doorway of the kiln, making them one of the only animals suitable for this harsh working environment. |
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Radwan's typical day
Radwan doesn't go to school. Instead, he works an eight hour daily shift at this brick kiln. He is responsible for transporting green bricks, ready for baking, into the oven by using a donkey and cart. Each load that the donkey pulls weighs in excess of a tonne and this cycle is repeated every five minutes - that's almost 200 times per day! |
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I read once that real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not. I am very glad I know about these children now through Dawn's elegant profiles. They are doing the right thing with the Sanctuary's help, by taking better care and loving their Donkeys. We are all rewarded with their stories and big, little lives. Thank you Dawn, for giving us examples of true awareness and integrity.
Walk in Beauty
Go in Grace
Jenny B.