Our Mission

A HEALTHY WORKING EQUINE CAN INCREASE THE INCOME OF A FAMILY BY 500%


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Our Mission	The Donkey - A Poem

OUR MISSION

The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust was established to reduce rural poverty by increasing productivity of working horses and donkeys through animal welfare and management education.

The Gambia is one of the smallest and poorest countries in Africa with a population of 1.5 million, most of whom are peasant farmers.

About thirty years ago horses and donkeys were introduced into The Gambia for use as working farm animals and their numbers have increased considerably in the last ten years or so. Many of the 27,500 horses and 40,000 donkeys are suffering appalling treatment and conditions simply through their 'carers' lack of knowledge. Inadequate food supply is also a major problem and these factors lead to the distressing sights we can see in the pictures.

Our main concern is malnutrition which aggravates problems with parasites, infection, lameness and disease.

Ill fitting or inappropriate harness and little or no knowledge of farriery often compounds the suffering.

The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust is going to alleviate these problems by:

Educating the farming community.
Training Extension workers.
Liasing with appropriate agricultural agencies.
Providing hospital and mobile treatment facilities.

Employing a Gambian veterinary surgeon and his team of assistants.
Making full use of locally available medicinal plants e.g. Aloe Vera.
Making use of voluntary expertise from abroad to provide specialist training e.g. farriery and harness making.

Thanks to generous contributions of tack, we are now starting to alleviate the suffering caused by this type of "bridle", however, we still need your help. We are particularly in need of pony and cob size head collars / bridles and 4" and 4.5" bits.

...or perhaps you could hold a fund raising show or sponsored ride for us? Help of this kind would be very

much appreciated.

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THE DONKEY

G.K.Chesterton, 1894 - 1936

When fishes flew and forests walked
And figs grew upon thorn
Some moment when the moon was blood
Then surely I was born.

With monstrous head and sickening cry
And ears like errant wings
The devil's walking parody
On all four-footed things.

The tattered outlaw of the earth.
Of ancient crooked will;
Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb
I keep my secret still.

Fools! For I also had my hour;
One far fierce hour and sweet:
There was a shout about my ears,
And palms before my feet.


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