New project in Guinea, Liberia

Animal Aid Abroad has been working to assist a relatively new project in Guinea to get up and running.

The project Goal is to end the unnecessary suffering, pain and starvation of working animals in Guinea through direct veterinary care and treatment for 3000 working animals and an education programme for 5000 animal owners and children

Kankan region is one of the largest regions in Guinea with subsistence farming being the main activity of the people. Working cows and donkeys are the main animals used for agricultural activities.

The region has no animal welfare or protection organization to work with the authorities and the animal owners to improve the health and welfare of the animals. The animal owners have little understanding of the health and welfare issues that affect their animals. They treat their animals based on the ways they think are appropriate not based on any proper and humane standards.

The Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society, a Liberian based animal protection organization has been in Guinea since May, 2019 providing animal welfare education and free veterinary care for working animals.

With grant support from Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA UK) and Animal Aid Abroad Inc. (Australia), we have established a local based animal protection organization at a regional level called Kankan Animal Protection and Welfare Association, Guinea (KAPWAG).

During October, the group held a series of meetings with local government authorities in the Kankan region, visited and held animal welfare awareness and education sessions in 10 towns/communities with 540 adults and children, and provided direct veterinary care and treatments for wounds, internal and external parasites, flea and tick control, vaccination, etc to 290 working cows, donkeys and horses in the region.

For many of the local population, it was the first time they had experienced this type of education and veterinary service, which not only improves the lives of the animals on which they rely for their livelihood, but in turn, helps to improve their lives as well.

It was challenging for KAPWAG to get started because of language barriers and gaining the trust of the people. Secondly, the cost of traveling in the various communities/towns is very expensive. The roads are very bad and renting a motorbike was costly. KAPWAG are hoping to purchase a bike in the future for the project which will help reduce the amount spend for travel.