Millions of the world's poorest people rely on donkeys to keep them supplied with the basic necessities of life - food and clean water - and enable them to earn enough money to support their families. Donkeys are hardy creatures and well-adapted to life in hot climates and inhospitable environments, but in many ways their toughness works against them. Because donkeys have such a high pain threshold and such a stoical nature, many owners fail to notice when they are sick or injured, and keep them working when they need treatment and rest.

The Donkey Sanctuary Overseas Department has been working to help these loyal, long-suffering animals for 33 years. We have bases and major programmes in India, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Mexico and have supported projects in many other countries, particularly through our small grants programme.

Up until recently, our priority has been to alleviate the suffering of sick or injured donkeys by offering free veterinary care and preventative treatment. But now we are also working in partnership with communities, to equip them to deliver this care themselves. We are training vets and Government-employed animal health workers, educating donkey owners about welfare, and doing our best to change harmful habits and practices. For example, poor harness causes donkeys severe and avoidable pain as well as being much less effective for carrying loads or pulling carts. In many of our overseas locations we make simple harness from cheap and easily-available materials, distribute it to donkey owners, and then show members of the community how to make it for themselves.

For many years we have also been going into schools to teach children about donkey health and welfare. But now we are branching out, recognising the need to communicate with all the members of a donkey-owning community. We employ overseas staff with training and experience in engaging with groups of people. They treat the donkey owners as equals, acknowledging that many of the welfare problems are complex and directly related to poverty and that there are no simple answers.

People's behaviour, beliefs and habits cannot be changed overnight, especially when rooted in culture and tradition and further influenced by economic pressures. Our overseas work is challenging at the best of times and sometimes seems overwhelmingly difficult. But among all the setbacks, we do find people with a real will to improve their donkeys' wellbeing, and sometimes it takes just a few of these individuals or groups to start changing the views of a whole community. We are striving to communicate our message to those owners and to train the vets and animal workers who work with them, so that our supporters' money can reach as many as possible of the millions of working donkeys in need of our - and your - help.

Find out more about our projects in the following countries:

Mainland Europe

• Cyprus - Donkey Sanctuary (Cyprus)
• Italy - Il Rifugio degli Asinelli
• Spain - El Refugio del Burrito