Remarkable
Achievements
As another year draws to its close and we
reflect on the achievements of the past 6 months, it is gratifying to consider just how
much the valiant 'Horse and Donkey' staff have managed to cram in since the spring
newsletter went out.
We would like to say a very big THANK YOU to
the staff of Horse and Donkey for all that they have achieved, which by any standards is
quite remarkable. Despite having a lot of visiting students, lecturers and visitors for
the other projects such as school and clinic, our staff quietly get on with their day to
day work of treating sick animals and training farmers and school children. Special thanks
must go to Anna and Alex who work so hard on a voluntary basis and who have achieved so
much. We are very lucky to have such an excellent team.
We are extremely grateful to all the people
who volunteer to go out and help and to see at first hand the work we are doing. We have
had visitors from Canada, Holland and the UK and they are all helping to raise our profile
in their respective countries.
We were very honoured to receive an official
visit by the Minister of the Interior in July. He and his entourage were able to see some
the very severe cases in our hospital and meet our students and the visiting lecturers.
They also went to look at the other projects that we work closely with in Sambel Kunda and
the neighbouring villages. I am very happy to say that he was very complementary about the
work we do.
We are very grateful to the Minister of Health
who very kindly donated some reflectors to put on the back of carts in order to reduce the
accident rate with donkey carts travelling at night. We plan to begin a 'reflector'
campaign and try to supply reflective jackets for all drivers across the country. In many
areas of the country and in particular in the city, there are many busy (and sometimes
fast) roads with an inevitable clash of users. You have fast cars/trucks, many taxis/buses
of various descriptions and huge lorries all going about their business day and night. In
the midst of this there are lots and lots of horse and donkey carts, with inevitable
consequences. Reflective jackets/strips are vital for all the communities along these
highways and in the towns and city.
If you know of a good source of reflective
jackets or have some that you no longer use, we would be happy to receive them. Any of the
reflective strip used on 'yellow coats' or on bicycles would be of benefit to these
drivers
Horse and Donkey Students Qualify
July saw the running of the final module of
the two year scholarship scheme to train Animal Health Technicians with an Equine
Speciality. The modules were held at our centre and the training was provided mainly by
the University of Liverpool Veterinary Faculty staff, with some vets from private practice
very kindly stepping in to help when we were short of a full team.
The course was a resounding success; we could
not have hoped for a finer group of students who worked very hard and with great
enthusiasm. The students had ample opportunity to develop their practical skills at our
centre with the yard permanently running at more than full and with plenty of visits to
the local market day clinics in the area.
The instructors were terrific and managed to
adapt very quickly into our less than luxurious accommodation and life without
electricity. They all said that they felt they too had learned a lot from working with the
horses and donkeys that are so important to the economy of The Gambia.
I am very grateful to Dr, Badou Senghore, the
Principal of The Gambia College for his vision in permitting this course to take place,
Mr. Cham, the head of the School of Agriculture for his help in organising the modules.
Thanks also to Rob Christley and Gina Pinchbeck of Liverpool University and Ramsay Hovell
of The World Association for Transport Animal Welfare and Studies (TAWS) for helping to
develop and administering the curriculum. We are grateful to Professor Chris Proudman,
head of the Department of Veterinary Science at Liverpool for allowing his staff time out
to participate, the Arundel Equine Veterinary Hospital who loaned us some of their staff
to teach and all the individual vets who took time out to help with the course.
Most of all I am grateful to the students
themselves for embracing the opportunity they had been given and doing so well. They are a
credit to their College and to their country.
The official graduation ceremony will be held
in March and the students have invited their sponsors and their lecturers to attend. It
should be a very auspicious occasion and we are all looking forward to it.
Members of TAWS who provided one of the
lecturers for the course, will be attending the graduation and in association with
ourselves, are planning to hold a veterinary seminar in The Gambia on the theme of
'Improved Management - Better Performance'
We are hoping to attract interested delegates
from around the region as well as some of the leading experts in working animals. If we
all share our knowledge and explore ways of preventing the problems that we see, we should
be able to make real progress for the working equines of the world.
Anna, our resident Volunteer, tells
of life at Horse and Donkey
Living at GHDT recently feels like the calm
before the storm. The rains came to an abrupt end and (dare I say it!) we have not had too
many dramatic cases to deal with! The storm ahead that I am talking about is of course
that of the annual Horse and Donkey Show. The preparations for the big day are just
beginning with increased advertising around the local and not so local villages. We are
planning for the biggest and the best show yet. Local children are eager to get their
Donkey Club demonstrations ready, along with the usual gymkhana game entertainment we hope
to have a debut demonstration of "Donkey Ball". This is a cross between football
and netball, on donkeys using a ball with leather handles all around it, which so far has
been somewhat slower than a typical game of horse ball! I challenge anyone to put 40
children on donkeys into a field with a ball not having it end in total chaos!
It is not only the children in training. Two
of our most handsome donkeys, Neil and Paddy have been in training for the past 2 months
to accompany a British couple on a walk around the whole of The Gambia, a journey of some
700 miles! We are just hoping they plan to travel at a leisurely pace, as despite Neil
being a real live wire at GHDT, we have discovered that once in a harness and cart he goes
down a few gears and sometimes he seems to be so laid back that the cart seems to be going
backwards! Both donkeys have grown up at GHDT, so it will be a real adventure for them.
September/October we had 3 very special new arrivals, first is a little bundle of brown
fluff, a healthy little girl born to Maxine, one of our permanent resident donkeys at
GHDT. As usual she secretly gave birth during the night, leaving us overjoyed with the new
addition at 7 am. Just 2 weeks after that we have once again had an early morning
surprise. Our donkey called Troika (who has 3 hooves and 1 stump) gave birth to possibly
the most beautiful foal in the whole world! Fondly named Sheelagh after the lady who saved
Troika's life some years ago, she is the smallest donkey in the yard but has by far the
biggest personality! She has inherited her mother's good, gentle nature and spends her
days whizzing back and forth around the yard, Troika looking on adoringly. Sheelagh loves
people and trots along behind anyone willing to give her dark brown fluffy body a little
scratch.
During the dry season, all female donkeys in
The Gambia are turned loose to join herds and run freely around the dust plains Whilst
neither of the mares were intentionally put into foal, it is almost inevitable once they
are turned loose that they will somehow find a male donkey. All the donkeys come back
every night for food, water and fly proof stables and a check over by our staff. Although
it is a strange concept for us in UK to get our heads around, there is no more beautiful
sight to see than a huge heard of healthy donkeys cantering playfully along together, as
natural as God made them to be, as free as any donkey in the world would love to be.
The third of our new arrivals is of a slightly
different variety: he fell into GHDT hands straight from the jaws of a hungry dog. Mr
Tumnus is a little goat with luck on his side. Lost, lonely, confused and weak in Banjul
city centre he stumbled along the road past our vehicle, only to come face to face with a
pack of hungry street dogs. They went in for the kill and threw Mr Tumnus to the floor.
Fortunately a man nearby was close enough to scare the dogs away whilst I rushed in to
scoop up the injured goat. The dogs had bitten his back and left him paralyzed. We took
him back home for medicine and a lot of TLC, fearing the worst. After a few days he could
react slightly to a pinprick on his back legs. This gave us the hope. We gave him the
benefit of doubt and within 2 weeks he was able to stand with support and now is even able
to muster up a little run if he thinks the ducks are going to beat him to breakfast! He is
one of life's little miracles and evidence once again of how much can be achieved with the
help of good nursing, time and Mother Nature.
The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust -
What does it do?
We are constantly asked about our work and
what we do and I realised when I recently participated in a BBC radio interview that
people's perceptions of our work are often quite different from what we actually do.
The Trust was born out of a realisation that
the horse and donkey owners of The Gambia have very little expert support when they have
problems with the animals which make a vital contribution to their incomes. The veterinary
services are severely stretched and we noted that there was very little in the curriculum
of the animal health workers that prepared them for the amount and variety of equine work
that we see.
Conditions for equines in The Gambia are very
harsh and the owners certainly face a huge challenge when trying to keep their animals
healthy. The animals have to face a number of diseases carried by ticks, Tsetse flies and
mosquitoes and the more we ourselves learn about the difficulties of keeping equines in
The Gambia, the more we realise just how much support the farmers require.
There are many ways in which we can help.
First, just by teaching carers to make basic changes in the management of the animals, we
can relieve the stress caused by poor management which takes its toll on the animals and
leaves them less able to cope with the disease challenge they face. By ensuring that
training is provided for animal support personnel such as farriers, harness makers and
cart builders as well animal health technicians we are hoping that the farmers will have
more support in the future. Our staff also teach in schools and to farmers groups. We
believe equine education to be a key.
By providing veterinary support and supplying
bits and harness donated by our supporters in UK, we are helping the animals who are
suffering now and need immediate help. When doing this it also enables us to monitor the
disease situation and we work very closely with the Government veterinary services to
provide as much help and support as we can. We help where we can to provide vaccines when
there are outbreaks of disease such as African Horse Sickness and we recently donated
vaccination syringes and needles and paid for the shipment of 2000 doses of rabies vaccine
which had been generously donated by Intervet in response to an appeal that we made to
them. We liaise with researchers overseas to enable The Gambia to learn more about the
diseases that we have in the country and try and find ways to prevent and treat them.
Our aim is to provide The Gambians with all
the knowledge that they require to take care of their equines themselves and our success
will be measured by hopefully making ourselves redundant in the foreseeable future!
Bits and Pieces
Welcome - I would like to
give a very big and very warm welcome to Demba Jallow, our new Veterinary Director in The
Gambia. In the short time that he has been with us Demba has already taken a huge weight
of work off Heather's shoulders and it is so helpful for Anna and Alex to have someone
with his knowledge and experience to turn to. Welcome Demba and we hope you enjoy your
time with us.
Disease - We are still having
problems being able to properly identifying the dreadful neurological disease that we
mentioned in our last newsletter. With the assistance of Laura Peachey, who came out and
stayed with us for 3 months, a lot of samples were collected which were analysed in the
UK. The results seem to be raising even more questions than they answered. We currently
seem to be facing another wave of the disease and we are working closely with the
Government veterinarians to identify it and then find a way to treat and prevent it.
The Show - This year we have
the biggest group of volunteers that we have ever had coming out to help with the running
of our Annual Show. I think their assistance will be very much needed as after the press
coverage we received at last year's show, we are expecting more competitors than ever. Our
team of volunteers will also be building a lovely adventure playground for the village
school which will be dedicated to the memory of Alfajo Barry, the late Imam of Sambel
Kunda and Stella, our co founder . They both shared a vision of building the village
school into one of the best schools in the country. Little by little we hope to ensure
that their dreams for the community actually come to fruition.
A Long Walk - We are very
proud that two of our rescued and rehabilitated donkeys, Neil and Paddy are setting off on
an adventure to help Gambian Children - ref Anna's report. They will be joining Jason
Florio, a photographer and his partner Helen and helping them to raise funds for the Eden
Project's Gardens for Life programme which sets up vegetable gardens for schools. They
will be taking it in turns to pull the cart with all the photography equipment on it for a
700 mile walk around The Gambia. Initially two of their grooms will travel with them until
Jason and Helen get to know their routine. Although they have been getting fit for the
journey for the last few weeks, we do have other donkeys on standby and in training should
they find that the going is too tough.
Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks
Thanks Thanks
Unfortunately space prevents us from thanking
everybody individually for the wonderful help and support that we have received to enable
us to continue our work. We would like to express our very sincere thanks to everyone who
has helped us in so many different ways. Some have held fundraising events, others have
endangered themselves by running marathons, climbing mountains or jumping out of aircraft.
Special thanks must go to Ros Harris, Ann Varley, Vicki Miller, Sally Barron, Liz
Serinken, Anna Pugh and Sue Adams for their outstanding help and support and to all the
wonderful vets who have given their services in training our students. Thanks too to
SPANA, Animal Friends Insurance, Hickstead Ltd., Intervet The Tarim Trust, The Ruth Smart
Foundation, The Shirley Pugh Foundation and the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust. Huge
thanks to all the raffle ticket sellers and the wonderful organisations and individuals
who have sponsored our upcoming December horse and donkey show.
Calum's Road
Although we have been unable to raise the full
amount that we need for this road, we think we have enough to make a start on Phase One.
We have been offered assistance by a Gambian organization which will provide the heavy
machinery required and we are busy buying wheelbarrows and implements for the village work
teams. It is a very exciting time and the thought of having the road in good condition is
spurring us on. It will make such a difference to the community and to the animals who
also suffer horrendous injuries whilst trying to negotiate the road.
If any of you have know of anyone who may be
willing to donate to this project please put them in contact with us. We think it would
make an excellent documentary as it is a prime example once again of how everyone working
together can get things done. Our thanks go to The Rowan University Chapter of Engineers
without Borders from New Jersey, USA who have done so much of the preparatory work.
On the first of February we have an intrepid
group of motor bikers arriving, they are riding from Calum's Road in Scotland to Calum's
Road in The Gambia to raise funds for the road. Hopefully they will be able to see at
first hand how their months of fundraising and their gruelling journey are making such a
big difference. We are really looking forward to welcoming them.
Fundraising for this road has been
particularly difficult in the present economic climate but we have worked very closely
with the community and we are optimistic that we shall achieve our goal. In fact we are so
optimistic that we are already planning a huge multicultural Scottish Gambian ceilidh for
the opening!
The Donkey Project -
Unfortunately we are having some very real problems with our project donkeys as a result
of the mysterious neurological disease that we have already mentioned. We have also lost a
number of our own animals to it. It appears that it is not what we first thought it was,
or perhaps we are dealing with a number of different diseases with similar symptoms? We
are really desperate to find the cause of it, then we may be able to find a treatment or a
way to avoid it altogether. Sadly nearly 25% of our project donkeys have succumbed to the
disease. This is not necessarily a reflection on their owners or the care that they have
received; in fact one of the most baffling things about the disease is that it appears to
affect the animals that are in better condition. It is always sad to lose a patient, but
it is devastating when an entire family depend on that animal to earn a living. Life is
already harsh for these tough little animals without having this disease to contend with.
If any scientists out there have any suggestions we would love to hear from them!
Molly - After our last
newsletter many of you will be wondering how Molly, the little horse who suffered such
appalling burns is recovering. Molly likes to keep Anna, her adoring carer well and truly
on her toes and after her initial recovery she had such a growth spurt that she started to
develop contracted tendons on her back legs. After some agitated phone calls from Anna, I
contacted Professor Peter Clegg from Liverpool who gave us advice and suggested some ways
of tackling the problem and I'm delighted to report that Molly is responding well to the
treatment regime. She really is a much loved little horse. Our sincere thanks go to
Professor Clegg and his team at Liverpool University.
Molly's Story by Anna Saillet
It is a typically busy day out at one of the
local 'lumos' (markets) where we go with a small team to provide veterinary treatment for
the many working horses and donkeys who spend day in, day out, pulling heavy carts around
or pulling ploughs on the farms. We have a farrier with us, and a harness maker too, they
are both fully trained local Gambians helping to make a difference to the lives of the
equines here.
As the day goes on the sun gets hotter and
hotter, soaring to temperatures of over 40 degrees. Almost all the horses and donkeys are
treated for a variety of different problems; harness sores, wounds, worms, colic,
trypanasomiasis, and other weird and wonderful tropical diseases. Shortly before packing
up to leave, a foal is brought to us with horrific burn injuries. I smelt her before I saw
her; a stench of rotting flesh wafting into my nostrils, so strong that it hit the back of
my throat and left a lasting taste. Having been tethered by a fire to keep the mosquito's
away from her, Molly (as she is now called) had tripped and fallen into the flames, and
was so weak from malnourishment that she was not able to get herself out of the burning
embers. Walking around to the side where the wound is, I gasp with horror at the extent of
this little horse's injuries. From her shoulder, all the way down her neck and stretching
down the side of her face, necrotic tissue reaches deep into her neck. Amazingly she is
still standing, despite her obvious agony. The accident happened one week previously, and
she'd been left without treatment or pain relief since then; We are fortunate to have
superb volunteer vets with us from the UK. They debride her neck and bandaged her up ready
for the trip back to our hospital. Fortunately, although Molly is 2 years old, she is very
small so she just fits into the back of our pick up.
Luckily we have an extra vehicle with us, as
on the way back we are flagged down to treat more sick horses, one with colic, and one
with an injured leg.
On arrival at our base camp our team of well
trained Gambian staff carefully lifts Molly out of the pick-up. We are lucky to have good
facilities at GHDT, with mosquito proofed stables and thanks to kind donations from the UK
we have a selection of medicines and dressings, although these always seem to be depleted
far too quickly. A long slow healing process stretched out ahead of Molly. Our year's
supply of bandages were gone within a matter of a few short weeks, leaving us with nothing
more than our initiatives to find ways to keep the wound covered and the flies away.
During this healing process it became clear
that Molly is one of the kindest hearted horses ever born, with the very typical trait
that Gambian horses have of forgiving humans, despite all the pain we were causing her on
a daily basis. She has had trypanosomiasis caused by the tsetse fly twice during her
recovery, and yet despite all of this she never gave up the will to live. In December 2008
some more wonderful vets from the UK and did a skin graft on her neck to speed the final
bit of healing. At long last she is eating and drinking well and beginning to lose her
long, thick, starey coat of a sick horse, and a beautiful gleaming coat is pushing its way
through to replace it. All that's needed now is a bit of fat to cover her bones, and you
would never believe what this little horse had been through.
Molly is a daily reminder to me of the
wonderful work being done at GHDT, and as she canters across the field to me for a papaya
(her favourite treat), in her wobbly weak little gait I get a lump in my throat. It's all
about understanding that every little helps. We can't save every animal that we see, and
at times it can be frustrating when we don't have the equipment we might like, but this is
where we have to think on our feet. We rely hugely on donations from the UK, whether in
the way of money, unwanted tack, medical supplies, or even just in the way of raising
awareness about the amazing work being done out here thanks to the generosity of people
from all over the world.
Fund raising 2009
The Raffle was drawn quite recently at a quiz
night held at the home of Ros Harris near Cheltenham. A good time was had by all and the
following were the main prize winners:
· Winner of the Holiday in
the Gambia - Linda Jones from West Sussex
· Winner of one weeks Holiday in Wales - D.Hayden from Purley in Surrey
· A Day at Cheltenham Races with B&B - J. Hayden from Liverpool
· Weekend on a canal Boat - Michael French from Aberdeenshire
· £100 Marks and Spencer vouchers - Christine Crake from Glasgow
· A thermostatic power shower - Catriona McKenzie from Fife in Scotland
· Crate of wine - J. Low from East Sussex
· Crate of wine Tony Bush - Guildford
· Visit to The National Stud - Lyn Stagg from Tewkesbury
We would like to thank Hari Eccarius for
organising a very successful fundraising show jumping event for us on October 4th at
Hillside Farm in Coolham, West Sussex. Hari was assisted and supported by her wonderful
parents Keri and Geoff as well as her brother, Liam. We are very grateful to Debbie and
Phil of Hillside stables for allowing us to use their facilities and for being so
proactive and supportive.
Acknowledging that times are tough for us all,
could all our supporters try to do something for Horse and Donkey over the Christmas
period. Be creative, get your family and friends involved or give Horse and Donkey a
donation if you can. A standing order for 12 months could make an amazing eco friendly
gift. Sponsorship of a horse or donkey is also available - see the website and speak to
Sue Adams.
Details of our Christmas Cards and Calendar
are shown on the website. Some cards are blank and make good notelets for everyday use.
Get your order in early as Heather is off to Sambel Kunda for the show in December.
Our online shop has beautiful beaded items
made by the ladies of Sambel Kunda. There are also bags, key rings and lengths of the
lovely tie dye fabric they make in the Gambia. For some, the village Skills Centre is the
only source of family income.
To find out more about our work, and details
of these and all cards and gifts please visit our website shop page.
Everyone involved
with Horse and Donkey wishes you all a very Happy Christmas! |
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