Donkey welfare at the heart of Kenyan celebration

A special event was held by The Donkey Sanctuary Kenya in the village of Manda-Maweni in Manda, one of three major islands that make up Lamu Archipelago.

The village is home to around 120 donkeys, which are primarily tasked with transporting heavy coral stone and ballast from surrounding quarries to the seaport. They also help fetch and transport water and carry household goods from the shore to inland villages.

Carrying such heavy supplies is bruising work for Manda-Maweni’s donkeys. The equines, which carry coral stone and ballast, are susceptible to a range of welfare issues, caused by inadequate harnessing, cart-related injuries and lameness.

The event, held on World Animal Day (4 October), allowed our Kenya team to witness first-hand what life for donkeys in Manda-Maweni was like. The team was also joined by Craig Halliday, our East Africa Programmes and Partnership Advisor, and Emma O’Hagan, our Lead Veterinary Surgeon.

Building lasting ties

Craig says: “Celebrating World Animal Day in Manda-Maweni provided us with the opportunity to further build relations with the communities on Manda Island.

“It also allowed us to emphasize the commitment The Donkey Sanctuary is making to support all donkey-owning communities across Lamu Archipelago, rather than solely Lamu Island, where The Donkey Sanctuary runs a clinic.”

As part of the event, our veterinary team were granted with on-the-ground access to the region’s working donkeys. Eighteen donkeys with veterinary issues received free treatment, administered by our Kenya team’s Dr Obadiah Sing’Oei and Lamu County Veterinary Officer Dr Felix Rachuonyo.

Of the 18 donkeys seen, ten had their wounds treated and eight were dewormed due to having poor body conditions. Some were also treated for eye infections and trypanosomiasis (a complex of infectious diseases called dourine, nagana and surra).

Craig adds: “While owners were bringing their animals to receive treatment, vets also gave advice on how best to care for their animals and to prevent future injuries.

“We also gave speeches that encouraged locals to take care of their animals by ensuring all their rights and freedoms are observed.

“The theme of this year’s World Animal Day was ‘Great or small, love them all’, and this message was incorporated into the speeches, which urged residents to respect and see the importance of all beings, great and small.”

Championing working donkeys

Our Kenya team also provided 400kg of bran to attending owners to feed their donkeys. The owners’ other animals, such as goats, also took the opportunity for this rare occasion to also enjoy the bran as the donkeys were feeding.

Craig says: “The purpose of this activity was to show appreciation to the hard-working donkeys of Manda and to highlight the importance of ‘Freedom from hunger’. This is one of the areas we are working on to ensure adequate feeding and watering for working donkeys.

“It shows how crucial it is that animals always have a suitable diet that keeps them healthy and energetic.”

At various times throughout the event, the public were entertained with live music performed by the rap trio of Samwellah, Brian Mzito, and Godec Omar, who go by the group name Verbico.

Their song ‘Save the Donkey’, which was written and performed especially for World Animal Day, gave recognition to the central role donkeys play in enabling people in Manda to earn an income and why it is important donkeys are treated with care and respect.

Following the World Animal Day’s main activities, The Donkey Sanctuary’s team were provided with a tour of several quarry sites located in the interior of Manda Island.

The quarrying of stone coral blocks in Manda is a significant industry, offering employment opportunities for many people. The industry also creates numerous jobs for people across the archipelago given these blocks are a primary construction material.

The tour was facilitated by a local resident who explained the process, the various stages involved and introduced the team to several workers.

Looking ahead in 2024

This year’s event in Manda-Maweni is just the start of what The Donkey Sanctuary hopes to achieve for working donkeys in the region.

Manda-Maweni has already been earmarked for the implementation of an outreach project, mooted to commence next year.

Solomon Onyango, our Country Director for Kenya, says: “Donkeys are a critical support system for the community livelihood in Manda.

“We have developed a robust community outreach project and are in the process of building resources to support this work, which will kick off in early 2024.

“The project is all about working in partnership with the community to address the welfare problems around wounds and other injuries associated with the nature of work the donkeys do.

“We shall use an educational and training approach where the community will be educated on good donkey welfare practices and trained on how to handle and use their donkeys in a humane way. The ultimate goal is favourable behaviour change that will result in improved donkey welfare.”