Access to clean water and sanitation is one of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and up to 200 million hours per day are spent collecting clean water worldwide.
Donkeys are often essential partners in reducing the amount of time required to access water sources and helping to ease the physical demands of collection. For rural communities in Northern Tanzania, donkeys play a crucial role in helping to collect water for local communities.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, hygiene concerns created additional demand for limited clean water supplies in northern Tanzania's farming communities.
With funding from The Donkey Sanctuary and using local donkeys to help with the water collection, our partners, the Meru Animal Welfare Organisation (MAWO), installed and filled water and soap dispensaries in medical centres across northern Tanzania. MAWO worked closely with the district public health department, community dispensaries, village governments and trained donkey champions to deliver this project.
If this video doesn't show, it may be because your cookie settings need updating. Manage your cookie settings.
The donkeys helped to provide hundreds of people with fresh water and soap to wash their hands, helping to limit the spread of Covid-19.
Johnson Lyimo, President and Founder of MAWO, says: "Donkeys are crucial in helping to build resilience in our area. Local donkeys were crucial in moving large quantities of water from distant sources needed to fill containers for patients to wash their hands before seeing a doctor."
As well as providing safe handwashing facilities, MAWO has been helping to educate communities on how vital it is to provide good care and welfare for the donkeys helping them collect water. This project included community education on harnessing and loading to improve the welfare of the donkeys.
MAWO staff have spent time talking to community members to let them know the effects and potential dangers of overloading and overworking their donkeys during water collection and the importance of correct harnessing.
To help this message spread further, they have provided rechargeable public address loudspeakers in marketplaces that broadcast messages on the importance of donkey welfare.
With donkeys on their feet for extended periods, MAWO also provided some farrier work at water points and in households. The teams also used these farrier sessions to help educate donkey owners on some of the practical aspects of farriery, which is essential for maintaining adequate donkey hoof care.
A signed agreement between MAWO and the Public Health Authorities will ensure the project's sustainability after our funding ends.
