Meet The Women's Group Protecting Kenya's Donkeys
By Jill Dando News
Margaret, the chairwoman of the Naserian Women’s Donkey Welfare Group from Maasai Mara, is promoting the wellbeing of donkeys, who are vital to the local economy.
In a region where women often bear the burden of gathering water, firewood and taking food to market, donkeys are essential in their daily tasks and relied upon heavily.
"My donkey is my life and my life is my donkey. I live because of him". Margaret, chairwoman of the Naserian Women’s Donkey Welfare Group in Kenya
Margaret said: “The thing that brought us together as a group was the donkey’s welfare. We saw it would be best for us to come together as women and fight for our donkeys.”
Brooke has given Margaret crucial knowledge in donkey care, ensuring they receive proper nutrition and attention.
This expertise has not only improved the welfare of these animals, but empowered women in Margaret’s community and helped alleviate them from poverty.
"Women like Margaret remind us of the importance of compassion and commitment in creating meaningful change for working animals globally". Chris Wainwright, CEO of Brooke
Brooke's CEO, Chris Wainwright, said: “Working animals do so much for the people that rely on them, helping to put food on the table and send their children to school.
“Margaret’s story is a testament to the strength of community and the significant influence one passionate person can have.”
Margaret's group are also being affected by the devastating donkey skin trade, where donkeys are being slaughtered to create a popular gelatine called eijao.
The trade is having a catastrophic effect on the welfare of donkeys and the people who rely on them for their livelihoods, with donkeys being stolen and smuggled across borders.
The Naserian Women’s group are advocating to protect donkeys from the trade and encouraging other community members to take action against smuggling.
Brooke is calling for a global ban on the skin trade, influencing a landmark, continent-wide ban on donkey slaughter and export across Africa in 2024.
Learn more about Brooke's work with women around the world.
Brooke Action for Working Horses and Donkeys is a U.K. based, global animal health and welfare charity that gives working horses, donkeys and mules a life worth living.
Brooke was founded in 1934 when Dorothy Brooke, a British woman, sought out war horses that had been left in Cairo after the First World War. With support from an appeal letter in the Morning Post newspaper, she set up the Old War Horse Memorial, which became Brooke, and expanded across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
