SAID's mission is to provide professional veterinary care and animal care education in indigent communities through our strategic project objective of pre and post graduate training and mentorship, skills development and the widening of employment scope. The project has produced 17 skilled para-veterinarians who currently deliver 100 000 animal treatments and 76 000 education interventions annually. SAID seeks to increase their delivery to 120 000 animals and owners in the next 12 months
The growing poverty and unemployment rate in South Africa results in the rapid expansion of slum areas. The impact on humans, animals and environment is immense and the capacity to address the consequential complications lies in the hands of incapacitated welfare organisations. Funding for animal welfare is not prioritised in CSI foci or government support. While social entrepreneurship and sustainable income streams are pursued, the decidedly weaker economy impedes their full growth potential
Through the employment scope development of unemployed graduates, debilitated by a 95% unemployment rate, SAID offers a systemic intervention that addresses the gap in education, poverty in communities and capacitates access to veterinary services. The candidates are selected from rural areas and once they successfully complete the internship and mentoring program, their diversity of skills are employed. Their employment in turn paves the way for support staff employment opportunities.
Economically active graduates impact the economy of poor rural communities; they expand access to veterinary care while employing peer education and support that is embraced by the beneficiary communities. The necessary competent capacitation of organisations impacts beyond welfare organisations into the private veterinary community and industry. The knock on effect provides opportunities for unskilled and skilled labour employment; once again benefitting the communities SAID operates in.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
