Kindness to Animals has no Boundaries December 2022 Dear Animal-Kind Friends,
(Live links have been removed, but you can always go to our AKI Blog page or the individual Partner Organization page to read more)
MONTHLY DONORS, if you didn’t receive your end-of-year email message from me with the total you donated in 2022 and information about the impact of your donations, please get in touch! I sent all monthly donor thank you emails on December 7 and 8.
It’s the time of year when we show and tell you how our Partner Organizations used your 2022 donations. Our pie charts (your donations at a glace) are now available on our website. Check under your favorite Partner to see how your donations were used (as an example, Bam Animal Clinics-Uganda’s pie chart):
Besides ongoing support to our Partner Organizations, most of you know that we sponsor an annual Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program (the only grant program specifically targeting African animal welfare organizations, now in its 5th year, and made possible ONLY because you donate to AKI). If you’re still wondering if your donations are really having an impact, supporting the neediest animals and strengthening the worthiest, most effective (and potentially effective) organizations, here’s what some of our 2022 grant recipients have to say:
From Michelle, SPCA Grahamstown: “… we will forever be indebted to AKI and its supporters for their generosity and kindness. It is incredible to see the work that AKI is involved with and the reach that you have globally - including Grahamstown now! Thank you once again for selecting our little SPCA as one of your grant recipients. May AKI continue its wonderful work in making this world a kinder place for the animals.”
From Sarah, Twala Trust-Zimbabwe: “Our most heartfelt gratitude to you for your support. Our community is facing such difficulties at the moment with the highest food inflation in the world, power outages and a truly drastic deterioration in the road systems, medical facilities and schools, and to be able to offer the care and feeding to these wonderful rural dogs whose owners make their way to us each Tuesday means a weekly bright spot for everyone at Twala and for the dogs and owners.”
From EduPaw (through Mandy, Hero in my Hood): “Akumzi is a happy young boy who really loves and cares for his puppy Max. He is so enthusiastic and is like a sponge, eager to absorb and learn all we are teaching in class. He was thrilled to receive a copy of the new "Caring for Dogs" colouring book through the grant Hero in My Hood received from Animal-Kind International. We were so grateful to be on that recipient list.” (photo below left)
From Funda Nenja (through Mandy, Hero in my Hood): “A while ago we were thrilled to learn that we were the lucky recipient of a grant from Animal-Kind International through Hero in my Hood from whom we have sourced much of our educational material over the years. The grant supplied us with dozens and dozens of canine welfare activity booklets which enables us to reach even more children and teach them about the five freedoms of animal welfare.” (photo above right)
From Dr. Rumbi, Botswana SPCA: “This project had a very positive impact on our staff morale. Everyone worked very hard and for the team to see their hard work paying off and our organization making a difference in the community really boosted their self-confidence. Working in an animal shelter is often a thankless job so to see people in these communities being appreciative of the efforts made was good for the staff.”
AKI Blog Updates
Still wondering how impactful your donations to AKI are? Are they doing the best for animals that they could possibly do? Check out our most recent AKI Blog posts for the answer!
AKI Partner Kingston Community Animal Welfare: 100s of street cats and dogs are fed, pets belonging to poor families are given the help they need to keep their pets-and keep them healthy and happy, unwanted births are prevented through spay/neuter, all thanks to your donations. (Photo below: Deborah ran into this group of street dogs when she was on her regular feeding rounds, a group she had never before seen. Now she’s getting them used to her, getting each of them spayed-then the males will be neutered, and taking food to them on a regular basis.)
AKI Partner Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras: Old, ill, unwanted cats and dogs are cared for and live lives of dignity and love at the HHHH sanctuary, supported by donations to AKI. Look for the January AKI newsletter, where we’ll tell you about how HHHH plans to expand their reach in Tegucigalpa.
AKI Grantee SPCA Grahamstown: “Who Let the Dogs Out” grant project is complete. New gates were placed on 25 pens, improving safety, visibility, and making life at the shelter happier for everyone. This SPCA covers a very large area with a high percent of the population living in poverty.
AKI Grantee Feral Cat Care Bloemfontein: Another grant project completed successfully with 140 feral female cats trapped, neutered, and released. And watched over to make sure their populations remain stable and that they are fed-so that they have a minimal impact on the environment, while providing the most humane solution for cat population management.
AKI Grantee Botswana SPCA: The 3rd Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Project to be completed (with 6 grant projects remaining), BSPCA held s/n campaigns and connected to the wider community, which will reap benefits for future s/n campaigns and will help these communities obtain more services, when needed, for their pets.
AKI Partner Sauvons nos Animaux-DR Congo: A must-read to see what it’s really like to run an animal shelter in one of the poorest, conflict-ridden, and natural disaster prone parts of the world. Also read this post to find out how your donations have done amazing things for the animals—your donations have saved their lives(!)— and how you have helped SnA staff as well, to live in dignity and feel proud of the work they’re doing to help the DRC’s animals.
We would be so grateful if you would consider an end of year donation to Animal-Kind International. We know that this time of year-and in these uncertain times-finances may be tight. But if you are considering end of year giving, please know that your donations to AKI are changing the world for animals—for the better—and will continue to do so in parts of the world where your help is needed most. Thank you.
For your donation of $15 or more, you can request a Pet Portrait (like the above) or a Pet & People Portrait. Find out more here.
The Animal-Kind International board always meets at the end of the year to discuss the status of our Partner Organizations, whether we’ll add any, whether it’s time to drop any. We’ll announce 2023 changes to our Partners in January’s AKI newsletter. Keep your eyes open and check your spam folder always! If you missed any AKI newsletters, you can always find them in the archives on our website. Our AKI Blog posts are available on the website under AKI Blog. We not only try hard to keep you informed, we think it’s extra-important and we love telling you about the great work being done by our Partners and Grant Recipients.
Very Gratefully Yours, Happy Holidays, and wishing you and the world’s animals a kinder, gentler 2023, Karen Menczer, Founder/Director & the Animal-Kind International Board AKI has Partner Organizations in Uganda (2 partners), Namibia (2 partners), DR Congo, Ghana, South Sudan, Liberia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Armenia. You can donate to AKI’s general fund or designate your donation to one or more of our Partner Organizations. Our 2022 grantees work in: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa (3 grantees), Zambia, and Zimbabwe. AKI: Since 2007, helping animals and the people who care for them in some of the poorest countries. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations to AKI are tax deductible in the US to the extent the law allows. 100% of your donations are used to support our Partner Organizations & our Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program.