DONKEY WELFARE VETERINARY OUTREACH CLINICS CONDUCTED IN MPWAPWA DISTRICT- CENTRAL TANZANIA funded by AKI!
During the month of June, 2018, through support from Animal-Kind International, we conducted intensive donkey welfare outreach clinics in the rural village areas of Mpwapwa district in central Tanzania. A total of 384 donkeys were helped during the programme in four villages of the district. The work was conducted by our volunteer veterinary team and treatments included de-worming, wound dressing, attending to tick-borne diseases, eye problems, lameness, and skin problems (pictures of donkeys being treated are below).
The TAWESO team held sessions each morning before the clinics started, to train owners on the responsibilities of animal ownership. We talked with donkey owners and children about how to take care of their working donkeys, including socialization with the animals, which normally is not part of donkey ownership in Tanzania (pictures of the villages, donkey owners, and some of the children who work with the donkeys are below).
The support from Animal-Kind International came timely as the donkeys are now working daily to collect crops from the field as it is currently harvesting time in the area and many donkeys are severely affected by both deep and superficial wounds and disease conditions. TAWESO teaches donkey owners to use cloth under the harnesses to avoid wounds, like those shown in the pictures below.
The owners were very happy to see their donkeys getting treatments and we believe the programme has helped them to learn about and care for their donkeys. We will return to this area again to continue the clinics as funds allow.
Thank you Animal-Kind International for helping these suffering donkeys in the central part of Tanzania.
AKI funds were used for the following:
1. Allowances- We paid allowances to five TAWESO volunteers vets who spent a week helping donkeys in various villages in Mpwapwa district, each was paid US$50.00
2. Veterinary Medicines and Supplies- We bought veterinary medicines and supplies as follows: antibiotics (Penstreptomycine, Oxytetracyclines, Amoxyllins, and Chloramphenicol), Dexamethasone, wound spray, Ivermectin paste, Ivermectin injection, Diminazine Aceturate, hydrogen peroxide, tincture of iodine, syringes and needles, cotton wool, bandages, alcohol, hand sanitizers, examination gloves
3. Communications- We had to make arrangements with leaders of the villages, District Livestock Department, and donkey owners for the clinics in their areas and also the volunteer coordinators to make the clinics successful.
4. Transport- We had to be moving from the office to various village clinics which since these villages are in rural areas, some are 100 kilometres apart and the team had to drive back to the office each night.
5. Refreshments-The team and some donkey leaders were spending many hours in the field and we bought soft drinks, water, and groundnuts for breaks in the field.