The Problem:
Working in the heat and stench of a rubbish dump in Mali takes a huge effort for Donkeys. Walking through the mud, over broken glass, twisted metal and splintered wood is dangerous but vital work.
District by district, the donkey’s job is to collect rubbish and deliver it to local dumps, usually to open public spaces like playgrounds, to be eventually taken away by trucks to local landfills. The donkeys perform an absolutely essential service to the city of Bamako, Mali’s capitol.
There is a big problem. Tetanus, caught through infected rubbish is killing donkeys.
What is tetanus?
Tetanus is a toxin that releases bacteria into the blood stream.
It is contracted via open wounds, generally little cuts that owners don’t see. What’s happens next is agony for the animal. The symptoms include:
- The Donkey’s central nervous system is attacked.
- Eating and drinking become impossible
- Severe unrelenting muscles spasms
- Respiratory muscles seize up, and finally the donkey dies.
It’s a gruesome agonising death but one that is completely preventable.
The effect.
Working in Bamako the SPANA vets and technicians saw a family of five, led by their father Mamadou pulling their own cart, on top of which lay their seriously ill donkey, Maiga.
The donkey was in the last stages of the tetanus infection. She couldn’t stand, and her body was completely rigid with her muscles in seizure. There was nothing we could do. We humanly put the donkey to sleep.
This donkey had suffered a painful and drawn out death. But the future held more suffering for Mamadou and his family. His three children have help to collect water, work the fields and take produce to market. Without their donkey the children have to leave school with no idea of when they might be able to continue their education.
What is SPANA doing?
We want to raise money to provide the two tetanus vaccination shots required to immunise 2600 donkey's for life.
We are also implanting microchips to follow the wellbeing of the animals and conduct longer term research into animal health and animal welfare.
For £15 you can give a donkey and a family peace of mind in their hard working lives by immunising a donkey against tetanus and micro chipping the animal.
How many donkeys can you save this year?
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