Margaret Ogembo with her donkeys at her home in West Uyoma, Rarieda sub-county.
The braying of her donkeys on a hot afternoon shows they are in need of a drink, and Pauline Onyango knows exactly what to do.
She has two donkeys that help her carry firewood and water from Lake Victoria that is several kilometres from her homestead in Gombe village, Siaya County.
Onyango says the donkeys form part of her. Without them, life would be unbearable in this semi-arid, rugged land where vehicles are scarce.
The desire to have the donkeys safe from tropical diseases and abuse by people prompted Onyango to join a self-help group known as Punde Nyalo, loosely translated as “Donkeys are the solution”.
The group works with an NGO that champions animal rights, especially donkeys.
Punde Nyalo Self-Help Group members have been trained on noticing diseases in donkeys and how to communicate with the animals.
When the Seeds of Gold team visits Onyango at her home, she has just concluded the group’s first meeting of the year.
“The group is made up mainly of people with donkeys and who want to take care of the animals. We are champions of protecting these important creatures. Donkey are unique animals,” she says.
Richard Odhiambo Olang'o with his donkeys at Gombe village in Central Sakwa.
Through a partnership with Support for Tropical Initiatives in Poverty Alleviation (STIPA), a Kisumu-based NGO, Punde Nyalo is one of the few farmer groups whose donkeys have medical cover.
The policy is meant to offer the donkey immediate treatment and examination by professional animal health providers any time they are called.
“The programme known as Community Donkey Insurance for Protection (CDIP) helps us get professional support whenever we notice something wrong with the donkeys,” Onyango says.
She adds that donkeys are of great help to the community, especially women and girls.
“We walk long distances in search of water during drought. Before the donkeys came to the rescue of women and girls, we carried carry water on our heads for kilometres. It was hectic ,” she says.
Carrying water on the head for long distances led to problems.
“It was not safe for women to wake up as early as 4am and walk to the lake or stream. Some pregnant women miscarried. The donkey have been of much help and that is why we will do everything possible to protect them,” she says.
Richard Olang’o, another member of the self-help group, says the medical cover has made it easy to take care of the animals.
He says insurance cover for the donkeys is a great idea that needs to be embraced by all.
“Our animals had many health problems. The village lost many donkeys and suffered economically because we knew little about their health. Today, we report any abnormality to veterinary officers who have a contract with STIPA,” Olang’o says.
The contract allows group members to access specialised treatment for the donkeys.
In the past, the farmers were victims of rogue veterinarians who took advantage of their ignorance to exploit them.
“Many animal health service providers did not like attending to donkeys. They preferred cattle, goats, chickens and other livestock and would charge exorbitantly when it came to donkeys. Something as simple as deworming would cost Sh1,200,” he says.
The CDIP programme is affordable to the majority of farmers in Bondo Sub-County.
A farmer pays Sh700 for those with one to three donkeys annually and an additional Sh300 for those with four. A villager with more than four adds Sh200 for any additional donkey.
The insurance policy comes with another product – a microchip inserted in every animal for easy identification. The chip also allows the farmer, the insurance firm and other stakeholders to tell the donkeys apart in case of a mix up.
“The microchip helps identify and track animals if they go missing. It has also made keeping records on the health of the animal easy,” Olang’o adds.
Benta Chaimbe with her donkeys at Gombe Village in Bondo sub-county.
Several kilometres from Gombe in neighbouring Rarieda Sub-County, Kamara Self-Help Group has replicated the activities of Punde Nyalo.
This group has also partnered with STIPA and now has valuable information that keeps members’ donkeys healthy.
Kamara Self-Help Group chairperson, Margaret Ogembo, says the partnership with STIPA has ensured the animals remain healthy and active.
“With the microchip and insurance cover, we no longer suffer losses like what used to happen in the past,” she tells the Seeds of Gold.
“Before the partnership with STIPA, farmers lost many donkeys to easily treatable tropical illnesses.”
She adds that many donkey foals died during birth because farmers did not know what to do.
“The ticks that attacked donkeys attracted birds. Whenever birds plucked the ticks from the donkeys, they left wounds on their skins. The wounds got infected, killing many donkeys in the long run.”
Her sentiments are echoed by Amos Ondhe, another member of Kamara Self-Help Group, who says donkey owners play an important role in the health of the animals.
“Many people do not seem to be aware that donkeys are not super animals that can carry any load, however heavy. Making it carry such heavy loads and walk long distances kills the animals slowly. These animals need rest and good feed. They need to be taken care of just like cows, goats and other livestock,” says the owner of two donkeys.
He adds that apart from regular treatment, donkeys should be washed regularly to keep diseases, ticks and other pests away. He advises donkey owners to deworm the animals regularly.
Raphael Otiu, an animal health service provider attached to Punde Nyalo Self-Help Group, says donkey owners face many challenges, especially during dry seasons.
“The animals have to walk several kilometres to get water for their owners,” Otiu says.
“The donkeys have little time to rest. During this time, feeds are limited, leading to malnutrition or even starvation.”
The expert says donkeys, like any other animals – including humans – need enough time to rest.
“The farmer should have enough hay that can last the dry season. Many families have set aside land for their donkeys’ grass but it is not enough to sustain the animals through drought,” he says.
Otiu also calls for community sensitisation and awareness to address the notion of donkeys being animals that need to be overworked.
STIPA Monitoring and Evaluation officer, Sarah Okwero, says the manner in which some donkey owners treated the animals was the reason the organisation started CDIP.
“Many people were cruel to these animals but still expected the donkeys to serve them,” Okwero tells the Seeds of Gold.
“When a donkey was injured or fell sick, for instance, they were never taken for treatment. Many such animals died after being left to their own devices.”
She adds that the STIPA programme targets 1,000 donkeys in Siaya County, with the number at the moment being 412.
“We have made big strides. Before the programme was launched, many newborn donkeys died. It is no longer the case,” Okwero says.
STIPA organises regular forums in which local farmers get information and training on donkey management.
With healthy and well-fed donkeys, owners have improved their earnings. Sick animals are no longer left to die and health service providers have changed their attitudes towards what is widely known as the beast of burden.
