- ASAL areas since they help residents with lots of domestic chores, just like human beings.
- The most targeted areas are those that lie in Arid and Semi – Arid areas.
Residents of Makueni County have embarked on an ambitious initiative to promote ‘a home adopt a donkey’ project across the county.
The locals have formed self-help groups intended to ensure that each home, especially those from the remote parts, acquire at least a donkey each.
The most targeted areas are those that lie in Arid and Semi – Arid areas.
Group members say the animal was important and helpful in ASAL areas since they help residents with lots of domestic chores, just like human beings.
“Donkeys have helped us a lot, we use them for various domestic chores like; ferrying water, ploughing, and transportation of farm produce and construction materials,”says Utonyi Wa Mang’oi Self- Help Group member, Angela Mutiso.
The locals spoke to reporters at Utonyi village in Kibwezi East sub-county on Sunday.
The project is funded by Inades Formation Kenya NGO with support from Brook East Africa.
The project is aimed at ensuring that residents had healthy donkeys that are well taken care of and their rights protected so as to effectively benefit from the animals.
“We haven’t experienced incidences of donkey theft lately. We don’t have people stealing donkeys to slaughter for meat sale to earn money,” Mutiso said.
Mutiso said their donkeys were safe.
She said Inades Formation Kenya was playing a major role in sensitizing residents on the need to take good care of donkeys.
They offer medical services alongside food supplements to the donkeys as well as funding the groups to do businesses through grants.
“This area is very dry, it’s arid hence can’t survive without at least a donkey in every home,” she said.
Kivuthi Donkey Owners Self – help group chairman Jonathan Mailu said Inades encouraged them to establish the group two years ago.
The group he said has 38 members.
“Inades trained us on how to take good care of our donkeys including treatment, feeding, and administering first aid services to the animals,” Mailu said.
“Most of our donkeys don’t fall sick easily, we have veterinary officers accessible with ease,” Mailu said.
Inades representative Onesmus Mwangangi said they had similar projects in Makueni, Machakos and Kajiado counties.
He said the project was funded by Brook East Africa with the objective of taking good care of donkeys as well as advocating for their rights through community sensitisation.
“We reach out to residents who use donkeys. Donkeys are mostly used in Asal areas like here where we are today, Kibwezi East Sub-county in Makueni county, it’s very dry,” Mwangangi said.
“Water here is found far away from homesteads. So, without donkeys, it’s difficult especially for who spend lots of time looking for the commodity on daily basis,” Mwangangi said.
Mwangangi said donkeys are saviors to such communities since they off burden the residents from lots of work thereby giving them opportunities to get time to engage in other income generating activities to earn a living.
He said the organization had partnered with the county governments of Makueni, Machakos and Kajiado to implement the project, especially in public sensitisation.
Mwangangi urged the public to take good care of their donkey as well as ensure they enjoyed their rights.
“We have various projects in Kibwezi East and West. Here, donkeys are usually one, two or three in a home while goats and cattle are many. Those who have been sensitised always take good care of their donkeys,” he said.
He said donkeys had rights to be food, water, protection, natural environment and association.