Community Engagement

 KENDAT through the Heshimu Punda Programme has been working closely with donkey owners in eight counties around the Mount Kenya region to inculcate positive knowledge, attitude and practices toward donkey welfare.

This is being achieved through:

1. Training on good animal husbandry practises

Since 2001, the project has trained over 35,000 donkey owners across the country through one on one and group trainings, use of donkey welfare champions (training of trainers), use of radio programmes on national and local radio stations and use of bulk SMS messaging system.

2. Strengthening donkey welfare groups

Currently, KENDAT is working with more than 110 groups spearheading donkey welfare improvements through linkages to veterinary service provisions and supporting their group projects in Nairobi, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Embu and Kirinyaga counties. The groups have a membership of over 3,500 members.

3. Donkey care clubs (DCC)

KENDAT uses Donkey Care Clubs in primary schools to instil the culture of tender care for animals to school going children at an early stage. 

There are 44 Donkey Care Clubs with a membership of 1,320 pupils from Nyandarua, Kiambu, Kirinyaga and Meru counties. This number grew from 4 clubs with 240 pupils in 2008. Every year the schools graduate over 500 pupils from class 8 equipped with knowledge on animal welfare and ready to become ambassadors of donkey welfare.

4. Behaviour change through football and talent nurturing.

Football is one of the most popular and loved games in the world by young people and therefore provides an opportunity to reach out to them easily. KENDAT is using this platform through Donkey Welfare Football Tournament and talent search and nurturing to engage urban youths with the aim of curbing drug and substance abuse which is closely linked to mistreatment of working donkeys. The tournaments have benefited more than 300 young donkey owners and users.bhu

5. Donkey protection

The legalization of donkey abattoirs in Kenya in the year 2016, led to the decline of donkey population by more than 600,000 donkeys.

These abattoirs further contributed to theft, bush slaughter, and cross-border smuggling of donkeys resulting in many donkey owners and users losing their only source of livelihood. KENDAT, through the Donkey Protection Initiative, is working with these communities to protect their donkeys by building secure and lockable donkey shelters through a cost-sharing basis. Through the initiative, the programme has built 110 shelter in Kiambu, Nyandarua, and Kirinyaga counties, both individual and communal donkey shelters, sheltering 296 donkeys.

6. Community based natural donkey breeding project

Donkeys are referred to as hard breeders; they have weak semen thus hard to use technologies such as artificial insemination. Courtship can take up to 3 years and gestation period is 12 – 14 months. KENDAT is working with communities to pilot community based natural donkey breeding in Mwea, Kirinyaga county and has recruited 10 donkey owners to volunteer 10 donkeys (7 females and 3 males) with desirable breeding characteristics. Five (5) females have already given birth to five (5) foals which are closely monitored by programme veterinary officers. The programme, using lesson learned, will expand to Kiambu and Meru counties.

7. Income Generating Activities.

KENDAT supports communities to develop community-led income generating initiatives which include;

  • Fodder production and sale in Nyandarua and Kirinyaga counties.
  • Sisal rope making in Tharaka Nithi and Embu counties
  • Basketry in Tharaka Nithi County.
  • Goat breed improvement in Tharaka Nithi county.