BlindLove - Working Donkeys in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Animal Aid Abroad supports the work of new partner group, BlindLove, who have sent us some background information on their work with working donkeys in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa.

In late 2020, our Director moved down to the Eastern Cape and has been wanting to start an outreach program in nearby Grahamstown. Grahamstown Township is a peri-urban area, with a mixture of urban and rural activities. Its been characterised by a fast population growth which has led to lack of adequate services like water, sewage disposal and electricity. This has led to social tension, health and environmental issues.

There is a desperate need for assistance in the form of primary healthcare, harness repair/ replacing and owner support and education. These donkey owning families are amongst the poorest in the country and are trapped in a cycle of poverty. Donkey owners have a very low status in the community and are often scorned by the public and accused of ill-treating their donkeys.

They don’t have many resources in the township (ie grazing, water, safe places to keep the donkeys which then end up roaming the streets and causing accidents with motor vehicles.) The animals are often overworked, carts are overloaded, driven incorrectly, they often ‘race’ other carts through town along busy roads. Harnesses are in a terrible state, which results in owners fixing them themselves with inappropriate materials, thus resulting in severe harness related wounds.

The team want to start an outreach program in nearby Grahamstown with the disadvantaged donkey owning community there (similar to our cart horse outreach program in Thaba’Nchu, Free State Province).

These donkeys are used to transport goods, wood, water, sand and furniture. The health and welfare of these working donkeys is very important not only for the survival of these animals but also the livelihood of those people who depend on them.

The aim is to improve the lives of the working donkeys by providing them and their owners with medical treatment, suitable tack / replace harnesses, as well as owner education to promote humane treatment. Establishing trust and developing a good working relationship with these donkey owners is key to the success of this program.

So after networking with the local SPCA ( who have given us the green light to go ahead with a donkey program as they are simply too overrun/ stretched to the max with dogs and cats), and the 2 local veterinary clinics it has been decided that we together with the Grahamstown Veterinary Clinic we start implementing the outreach program.

First up is to castrate 10 donkey stallions.

We are also looking at holding x 3 big veterinary drives during the period. A farrier and dentist will also be there on these days. In the past, 100’s of donkeys attended! All animals will be vet checked, treated for internal and external parasites, vaccinated, and minor wounds treated. Owners will also be encouraged to take their donkeys to the clinic if any other needs arise throughout the year.

We have also been in contact with NAWA in Namibia ( Namibian Animal Welfare Association) and they have been very helpful. They are sending us 2 already made up donkey harnesses, have also sent through the templates, costing and suppliers of webbing here in South Africa in order for us to start making up and replacing old harnesses. We will be making up the buckles, ourselves and making use of a local person in the community who offers sewing services, thus supporting small local business too. We want to replace at least 10 harnesses each month.