The KENDAT 2023/24 newsletter is out! In partnership with Brooke East Africa, communities and the general public have been impacted on the best practices to adhere to for the prosperity of equine welfare.
Donkey Replacement Initiatve Follow-Up Change Story- Nancy Nyambura, Lusighetti
Background Information
Nancy Nyambura, is a member of Kaigata Donkey Owners Group in Lusighetti, Kikuyu sub-county in Kiambu county. She is a single mother with two children and together with her elderly mother they depend on her for provision of basic needs. Nyambura is a victim of donkey hide trade that saw her lose her donkey which she referred to as a “Machine”. She used to fetch water for her domestic use and for her livestock using the donkey. Additionally, Lusighetti being a dry area, water vending using donkey within the area and neighbouring villages was her source of income. However, in August 2019 her donkey and its newborn foal was stolen. This way, she lost her livelihood and the life that followed was full of anguish and suffering.
Taking The Place of Her Donkey
Being the bread winner, Nyambura had to come up with something really fast to ensure her family did not suffer from the loss of her donkey. Her little son and aging mother depend on her for a living thus she had no choice but look for an alternative source of income. She started doing some casual labour around the area for a meagre pay of Kshs. 300 per day. The amount was too little, bearing in mind that she used to earn at least Kshs. 1500 per day vending water. In a bid to supplement her earnings, she resumed her water vending business, this time, pulling the cart herself.
The Agony and Tribulations
Due to desperation and the will to confront the situation Nyambura opted to pull the cart to earn the much needed extra money to at least make life at home more bearable. However, few months into pulling the cart, Nyambura, a once healthy mother and daughter, started developing health issues. She started developing back pains that saw her bedridden and unable to perform the most basic tasks.
Light at The End of the Tunnel
She had lost hope and was tormented by thoughts, wondering how she would raise her son and take care of her mother. It was during her darkest moments, when Murgarian Family launched their donkey replacement initiative. The Kaigata Donkey Owners Group pinpointed Nyambura and pleaded with the team in charge to consider her. Her story stood out and as a result, she was awarded a 2-year old jenny. Without a doubt, this was the happiest day of her and her family’s life.
Life After Donkey Replacement
Nyambura needed some time to recuperate before resuming her water vending business. Though unplanned, this period was essential to give the Jenny some time to accustom to the new environment. After she was recovered and ready to resume, Nyambura had to train the jenny since she had not pulled a cart before. The training took some time since the jenny was also young, but Nyambura says it was worth the patience. The Jenny, has since benefitted Nyambura in a number of ways
Making work easier
Nyambura is now able to vend water easily without having to do the hard work of pulling the cart. She does her work smoothly with little exhaustion compared to pulling the cart herself. Consequently, she has become more productive in other areas of her life such as in the farm and in the house. She fetches water for her household and clients and goes back home in the evening with enough strength to perform her other duties.
More Earnings
With this donkey, Nyambura is able to make more trips that she ever could, pulling the cart by herself. As a result, she earns more and takes care of her family more effortlessly.
Improved health
Today, Nyambura has fully recovered from the back pains. She can now work effectively and is out of medication.
More Livestock
Lusighetti is a dry area and water shortage is a common issue making keeping a large flock of livestock a headache. Although most people in the area have the space and capacity to own a large flock, most people cannot because of the expenses incurred from purchasing water. However, since she has a donkey, Nyambura has expanded her flock and replaced the once stolen during a cattle rustling earlier. Expanding her flock has in turn heightened her net worth.
Football Tournament Impact Story – Behavior change project case study
Young people living in urban setups are at a higher risk of involving themselves in devious activities. This is because of the environment that they are exposed to that is of hardships and one that is very versatile and the dynamics of living in an urban setup makes the young people to engage in such activities to keep themselves busy. Mwea in Kirinyaga county is not an exception of this scenario. Young donkey owners living in Mwea who depend on them for their daily income have been affected by the social-urban culture. They use these donkeys for transportation of rice to the mills, fetching water for people, transportation of construction materials and relocation of tenants among other numerous that the donkeys are used.
Donkeys in Mwea have been affected by a myriad of welfare issues due to the youth in Mwea who use them, engaging in drugs and substance abuse, as well as having low self-esteem. KENDAT initiated a program whereby the youth ae engaged in a football tournament and are trained on drug and substance abuse, financial investments as well as positive handling and welfare issues of the donkey.
Dennis Muchira is one of the young donkey owners living in Mwea. He is the chairman of Kahuruko donkey Riders. He has been engaged in the football tournament and has since been able to sensitize other youth members to stop drugs. “Since the beginning of the KENDAT football tournament, drug uptake has reduced in the young donkey owners and users. This has been as a result of the trainings that we have been given and the engagement in the tournament,” Dennis attests.
“The tournament has brought about unity in our donkey owner groups, more young people are now joining donkey owner groups as they have been brought together by the tournament,” He adds. The young people have also been supported due to the awards they get of donkeys that they have since used them for sustainable breeding to which they attest has increased their donkey population.
The youth donkey owners have also been trained on financial investments that they have articulated. 8 groups have already started contributions that they save up in the group and provide as loans to the needy members of the group at an interest. This has become a way of resource mobilization and they are able to use their group savings to cater for the needs of their donkeys through health care assistance and providing fodder for their animals through the finances they collect.
This has resulted in the reduction of negative handling of animals and whipping for donkeys have significantly reduced in Mwea. Drug and substance abuse have also been on the downward trend and is not as rampant as it was before which ha consequently led to practice of positive husbandry and handling skills among the young donkey owners and users in Mwea.
LSP Change Story – Jane
When Jane completed her college studies she never thought she will find herself treating donkeys in her practice.
But as fate would have it, she found herself in the middle of donkeys where they are used in day to day activities of fetching water and transporting rice from rice fields to stores and mills in Mwea.
Being the strong woman she is and following the oath she took to prevent pain and suffering in animals, Jane never turned down farmers’ request to attend to donkey cases.
Though she lacked the confidence and knowledge in handling and restraint of donkeys she tried her best to ensure they are well taken care of.
Thanks to the strong relationship between KENDAT vets and local animal health professionals on the ground that took Jane into the mentorship programme.
She was taken through donkey handling, restraint and also various aspects of equine medicine. Currently she is the preferred LSP in Mwea in managing cases of donkeys because of her confidence and expertise that she has gained from the mentorship.