KUTUNZA PUNDA NI KUTUNZA JAMII PROJECT

The project engages donkey owners in Kisumu County (Nyakach Sub County) and Siaya County (Bondo and Rarieda Sub County) to improve the general welfare and safety of donkeys. The project strives to change attitudes of donkey owners and communities to embrace animal rights and freedoms with focus on the five animal domains of Nutrition, Environment, Health, Behaviour and Mental status while safety focuses on vigilance and protection against Donkey Hide Trade. The project employs the use of a Reporting Framework by key stakeholders for documentation and tracing of lost donkeys.

To ensure that immediate health care of donkeys is met on need, the project has employed a unique donkey insurance scheme dubbed…. “Community Donkey Insurance for Protection (CDIP)”. The CDIP plan enhances accessibility to timely quality preventive and curative health care services for donkeys as well as guard the donkey owners against catastrophic expenditure whenever their animals falls sick.

The project also advocates for inclusion of donkey welfare issues in County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP).

STIPA is a member of Association of Donkey Owners’ in Kenya (ADWOK) and is supported by Brooke East Africa. The donkey owners also belong to the National level Association of Donkey Owners in Kenya (ADOK)

Key Achievements

• Expansion of the project reach to cover six groups (two groups each in the 3 sub counties of Nyakach, Bondo and Rarieda.)
• Total beneficiaries so far reached are 201 (M-84 F-117) donkey owners with 450 (M-222 F-228) donkeys.
• Adoption of good husbandry practices such as use of appropriate tethers and harnesses hence reduction of wounds and bruises
• Construction of two hay barns in two donkey owning communities. (Punde Nyalo SHG and Agoro East Tunza Punda SHG.)
• Production of Fodder crops (Rhodes grass) by two donkey owning communities. (Punde Nyalo SHG and Agoro East Tunza Punda SHG.) to improve feeds supply and proper nutrition.
• Adoption of the CDIP plan by 98 members from three donkey owning groups. (Punde Nyalo SHG, Agoro East Tunza Punda SHG and KAMARA SHG)
• 230 donkeys fitted with Microchips for identification and are benefitting from the CDIP plan.
• Signing of MOUs for CDIP implementation with respective Sub county veterinary departments. (Nyakach, Bondo and Rarieda)
• Formation of Community Own Resource Persons (CORP) team that ensures the CDIP is on track in terms of funds administration and bills settlement
• Development of CDIP tools such as individual donkey cards, treatment cards and treatment register for documentation and accountability.
• Improved partnership with Government line ministries’ and media has enhanced visibility of the project as well as advocacy on the general donkey welfare