Tanzania Humane Charity (TAHUCHA) - April Activity

“TAHUCHA extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to Animal Aid Abroad for enabling it to work towards its main goal for improving working donkey’s welfare and conditions in the Geita region of northern west Tanzania.

TAHUCHA is working from the ground providing interventions that gives pain relief to the working donkeys however, we consider the social inclusion in terms of education and training to answer the problems of little awareness amongst owners regarding humane handling of working donkeys in the region we work.

We note donkeys in a wide range of working areas that includes markets, households, kilns, forests, mines, and farms doing a work of tractors and vehicles.

Even though they perform and generate money for the economics of many poor families, they are not rewarded, treated and have no appropriate harnessing systems.

Working donkeys suffer a lot, including being underfed, and forced to carry weighs well beyond their capacity, they are beaten to make them run fast due to their owners’ time pressure.

In the month of April 2021, through mobile vet clinic and static points we have managed to treat a total of 789 working donkeys with problem related to welfare in rural setting of Bukombe.

Various conditions included, harness related sores, followed by beating wounds and accidental wounds.

But on other side of things in clinical settings in descending order most problems encountered were, lameness due to tendon exhaustion, hematomas, eye infectious diseases, dental problems, equine trips, babesiosis, fungal infections and mange.

We managed to educate 54 young 12 to 15 year olds on the basics of animal welfare, considering the importance of resting animals, feeding and treatment. we insist to the children that animals also feel pain when injured and most importantly, the need for vaccination against tetanus.

We managed to teach 68 donkey owners and 43 riders on humane handling of donkeys and insist them on proper management of donkeys in order to generate income while maintaining health of donkeys.

Bukombe donkey sanctuary is currently housing of 200 including 165 rescued from Shinyanga region, out 30 donkeys rehomed 3 to 4 weeks, 23 donkeys were discharged and return to their owner after full recovery.

Alongside that, the donkey which as previously reported, had a bad wound on the right fore leg has healed for almost one month since she had been admitted. Now she is happy and her progress is good. Also, the 185 donkeys rescued from Shinyanga have now received their first vaccination against tetanus.

Thanks to Animal Aid Abroad for this foreign assistance and for being keen to help.”