June 2021
First, I want to allay your suspense in case you haven’t heard: The Uganda Society for the Protection & Care of Animals is the owner of a 2.08 acre plot of land between Kampala and Entebbe, where they will build their new shelter. The need for funding hasn’t ended though-the USPCA (an AKI Partner Organization) still owes about 20% of the price of the land. Funds to cover moving and construction (most important right now, a fence to delineate the plot) are also needed.
The USPCA is hoping for in-kind donations of construction materials and volunteers to help with the move, but that won’t cover all the needs and we’re not entirely over the fundraising hump yet. We gratefully accept donations through GlobalGiving, directly on the AKI website (USPCA page), and on the GoFundMe page.
Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program-2021
During the submission period from June 1 to 21, we received 52 proposals to AKI’s 4th annual grant program. Our external evaluation committee is now evaluating all eligible proposals. We’ll announce grant awards on August 1 (in the August newsletter, on our website, and on our Facebook page).
We would be so grateful if you’d consider a donation to our grant program. The grant program, the only one of its kind that specifically targets Africa’s animal welfare organizations, is supported entirely by donations from our supporters—you! The more donations we receive for our grant program, the more grants we can support. If you have a country preference or prefer a specific type of project, get in touch with me and let’s discuss a designated donation.
If they’re interested, grant recipients receive an extra bonus: They can participate in AKI’s Friendly Audits, where we review the organization’s technical and admin capacity, make recommendations for improvements, and depending on the availability of a volunteer, pair the grant recipient with a volunteer who can help strengthen the organization. We’re all about helping Africa’s animal welfare organizations, grow, prosper, and save more animals.
Monthly Donors, our lifeblood
A special thank you to our monthly (and other recurring) donors. During some of the most difficult months, you have sustained us with your financial support and you always encourage us with your moral support. As a small organization, we so rely on our monthly donors and over the years I’ve gotten to know—even if only virtually—many of you. I may not say it often enough, but please know that we and our Partners are so grateful for your commitment to Animal-Kind International.
This month’s AKI Blog posts are about 4 of our Partner Organizations. Many of you are monthly donors, through AKI, to these organizations. In our AKI Blog posts, Facebook posts, and the monthly donor end-of-year letter, we try to keep you up dated about what your donations are accomplishing. But if you ever feel out of the loop, just get in touch and ask for information-we’re happy to oblige.
The Animal-Kind Blog: June 2021
June’s AKI Blog posts focus on our Partner Organizations and what they have accomplished with your donations:
Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras: In this article, you’ll read about recent HHHH rescues and we check in on some of the cats and dogs that HHHH rescued in the past. HHHH has been an AKI Partner since 2007, the start of AKI, and together we’re celebrating their 25th year in operation. Over the next months, we’ll be showcasing before/after stories that HHHH is so well-known for — taking cats and dogs from the worst situations and turning their lives around. Dogs like Guapa……
HHHH rescued Guapa in 2014 when she was an abandoned street dog. She turned into a healthy, loving dog (above).
Above: Yes! this is the same dog, Guapa! HHHH focuses on some of the most difficult cases, restoring their physical and emotional health and providing lifetime sanctuary for animals -like Guapa- who don’t get adopted.
Kingston Community Animal Welfare: Unbelievable Part 1: If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that one person (Deborah Binns) with her network of helpers (i.e., Kingston Community Animal Welfare) could rescue and help so many animals. KCAW has rescued, fed, spayed/neutered, and found homes for so many cats and dogs these past few months, I couldn’t fit them all into one article; I’ll be writing Unbelievable: Part 2 next month. Read about KCAW rescues like Orlando, in this AKI Blog post.
Above: Orlando was a stray cat, living with his mama and littermates at an apartment complex in Kingston. Thanks to KCAW, he’s been adopted to a loving home.
Bam Back in the Saddle (donkey welfare in eastern Uganda): AKI Partner, Bam Animal Clinics-Uganda, held donkey clinics and humane saddle trainings in early June. This post describes some of their work, supported by AKI donors, helping donkeys and a cow through a difficult birth.
Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society-spreading the love to Liberia’s remote communities: LAWCS works in some of the more remote parts of Liberia, where there are very few services of any kind, and where LAWCS is the only provider of animal care services. You’ll get a real feel for LAWCS’s work when you see the video and photos in this AKI Blog post.
More AKI News……….
Joan is offering Pet Portraits for a $12 donation to Animal-Kind International. Follow up your donation with an email message to me and a good quality digital photo, and within a few days, Joan will deliver your Pet Portrait as a jpeg that you can print for your wall, t shirt, coffee mug, or anywhere else you’d like to see your pet.
Save Animals-Democratic Republic of Congo, a 3-time Africa Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Recipient (2018-2020), is making progress at the Kinshasa Zoo.
With AKI donations, they built this playground (picture below) for the zoo’s monkeys (the cage was previously devoid of enrichment items, which is very sad for monkeys who are so inquisitive and love to climb and play). Next, the outer cage has to be reinforced because the monkeys damaged it when they were so bored in the empty enclosure. Once repaired, the monkeys can be placed back inside—that will be a wonderful day for them and us!
Our GoFundMe fundraiser is supporting SA-DRC as they work with Kinshasa Zoo management to make the lives of the zoo animals much more bearable. The zoo does not purchase animals; nor do they usually receive animals confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade-instead, they are placed in sanctuaries, if available. This means we’re dealing with a finite number of animals—and we have the ability to make some real improvements for them. Although you may not be a fan of zoos, especially zoos that are chronically underfunded in poor countries, if we don’t help these animals, who will? (the answer: no one). The GoFundMe page has recent updates on progress and we’ll continue to update our supporters on that page.
Thank you AKI Supporters-we can’t do this without you!
100% of your donations go to AKI-supported organizations, our Partner Organizations in 9 countries: Uganda (2 partners), Tanzania, South Sudan, Namibia (2 partners), Liberia, Ghana, Armenia, Jamaica, and Honduras; and AKI's 2020 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Recipients who work in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (2 grantees), Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Please help us get the word out about AKI by forwarding this message to your friends and family who love animals. Please stay safe and healthy. With Gratitude, Karen Menczer, Founder & Director & the AKI Board