The project will uplift the status and condition of 60 exceptionally poor donkey-owning families and their donkeys in Grahamstown Township, South Africa in order to improve the lives of the currently marginalised donkeys and donkey owners by providing training in making and using more suitable carts and other skills. The families and the children are usually uneducated, and have inherited their low position in society from uneducated carter parents. It's a tragic and often abusive situation.
There is a desperate need of township and rural village farm animal owners for upliftment. This is particularly evident in the donkey owning families. These families are among the poorest and are trapped in a cycle of poverty and abuse, which includes their children. They usually have a very low status in the community, their children are usually forced to work the donkeys rather than attending school and the animals are usually overworked and driven in inappropriate ineffective tack and carts.
The project will restore the dignity and social standing of donkey-owning families by providing skills development training and mentoring to improve the lives of the families i.e. alleviate poverty, develop new skills, improve health and children attend school and improve the lives of the donkeys i.e. suitable tack and carts, sufficient food, water and rest, medical treatment and humane treatment. The project also aims to develop a generic project format that can be rolled out to other areas.
It is anticipated that in the first year that 240 people will be impacted on, 180 of which will be children, by uplifting their status and therefore acceptance in the community. Families will gain skills to better their source of livelihoods and will be better placed to rise out of poverty. Children will regularly attend school to ensure a better chance in life. Donkeys will be better treated and not sustain as many debilitating or fatal wounds thus be of more value and also live a better life.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
