May 2022: Accepting proposals & AKI partner & grantee updates

This month’s AKI newsletter has information about our 5th annual Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program (now accepting proposals), updates from our Partner Organizations, and a final report about one of our 2021 grantee’s projects.

AKI 2021 Grantee: Tikobane Trust-Humane Africa Trust
 One of our nine 2021 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grantees, Tikobane and Humane Africa Trusts in Zimbabwe, demonstrated and educated communities about the Five Freedoms. Every month, they focused on one of the “freedoms.” Month 3 was “Freedom from Discomfort.” The team made and distributed doghouses (one type of dog house had a thatch roof, photo below) and dog beds made from tires. Read more about this Five Freedoms project on the AKI grants 2021 page.

AKI Partner, Have a Heart-Namibia
 In April, the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund helped 9 animals get much-needed vet care. One of them was Bruno (left). A bone got lodged in little Bruno’s throat and he needed to get to a vet immediately. Geesche (Have a Heart-Namibia) approved the use of the Emergency Fund and Bruno got the help he needed (along with a reminder to his family not to feed Bruno bones).

Read more about April’s AKI-HaH Emergency Fund cases in the HaH Blog post.

AKI Partner Bam Animal Clinics-Uganda
 In April, Bam was in Kween District helping donkeys. Thanks to AKI donors, every participating donkey owner received the full animal welfare package: sisal saddle training and a sisal saddle, and diagnosis and treatment of their donkeys-all for free. Read about Bam’s donkey welfare work on the Bam Animal Clinics page.

AKI Partner Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras: After a short hiatus from street dog spaying (as we mentioned in previous newsletters, the AKI Blog, and on social media posts, HHHH is assisting Patrick and his northwest Tegucigalpa neighborhood to spay “their” street dogs), any day now we’re expecting Patrick to bring the next female dog to the HHHH Sanctuary to prepare her for surgery. (See HHHH page for more info)

AKI Partner Kingston Community Animal Welfare: The photo on the left is Ginenell, a high school student in Kingston, Jamaica, who got in touch with me to surrender her cats. She wrote: “I have 9 cats, 3 females, 4 males, and 3 newborn kittens. My family wants to throw them away in a nearby gully and I don't want any harm to come to them. I saw on the internet that your organization rescues animals and I'd like you to help me help them.”

I got in touch with Deborah/KCAW, and she set off immediately to deliver cat food (photo above) and discuss a rescue plan with Ginenell. The following week, Ginenell wrote to me: “Good morning miss Karen, my cats are safe now because of you and your amazing foundation. Thank you very much Animal-Kind International and I will never forget your kindness.” Deborah arranged for the kitties to be picked up and brought to a safe foster home.

 Above is Julia (with Deborah). Deborah explained, “I have been helping her with food, clothes, medication, and everything you can think of. Julia had a cat named Huang who died at 14 years. Julia mourned for weeks. Huang was her companion and now without him, she had nothing. So I brought her Bobby cat (a girl). But Bobby died after developing a terrible and chronic mouth infection and I had to have her euthanized to end her suffering. Julia came to Jamaica 30 years ago from Singapore and never left. She is a trained editor and played classical music on her once owned grand piano which she had to sell to buy food. Now she is destitute. She definitely needs another kitty.”

 Sometimes we forget….animal rescue can be as much about the people as the animals.

AKI Partner Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society: In April and May, LAWCS continued to provide their free services in remote communities thanks to AKI donors. LAWCS Animal Healthcare Officer, Abie, offers the only animal care in Lofa County, Liberia. Abie deals with internal and external parasite infestations, mange, wounds, ear and eye issues; he gives rabies and parvo vaccinations; and always, as part of animal care services, he educates communities about how to care for their pets. (Photo below, a recent community outreach clinic)

Uganda Society for the Protection & Care of Animals
 Thanks to two USPCA supporters, the walls of the kitchen at the new Haven are being constructed now (photo below)! It’s amazing how the site is coming along—from a 2.10 acre vacant plot just a few months ago, there are now 8 new kennels and slabs for more, a container for supplies, and some of the plot is fenced. The USPCA received a donation of a gate and shade trees. But we still need your support: an office/reception, a cattery, moving costs, septic—and more—are still needed.

AKI Partner Save Animals-Armenia purchased 2 months worth of dog food with AKI funds to feed the senior dogs at the SA-Armenia shelter and more than 30 street dogs who are fed daily thanks to SA-A. All are spayed/neutered so they don’t contribute to the overpopulation of unwanted dogs in Yerevan. Below SAA is feeding some very healthy looking street dogs who live near the shelter:

There’s still time to apply to our 5th annual grant program. We’re accepting proposals from May 22 until midnight GMT on June 15. As of day 3, we’ve received 4 proposals. There are still 22 days left to apply. If you are an Africa-based animal welfare organization, all the INFORMATION YOU NEED IS ON THE GRANTS 2022 PAGE to determine if you are eligible; and if you are eligible, to apply.

 AKI Supporters, we are grateful for and we really need your help to ensure that our 2022 grant program, the only grant program that targets Africa-based animal welfare organizations, is as successful as the previous 4 years. Our grant program is 100% donor-funded. The more money we raise, together we can award more grants, we can strengthen more Africa-based animal welfare organizations, we can help more animals, and there will be greater awareness about kindness to animals.

Please donate towards a grant

 to our friends at Help Animals India for assisting our 2022 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program. Animal-Kind International and Help Animals India-we’ve formed a special bond, remarkable among animal welfare charities. Thank you to Help Animals India for their kindness and generosity.

For a donation of $12 or more to AKI, you can get a Pet Portrait or Pet & Person Portrait! Just go to the Donate page to see examples and to find out how to request your PP or P & PP!

Very Gratefully Yours,

 Karen Menczer, Founder/Director
 & the Animal-Kind International Board
 AKI has Partner Organizations in Uganda (2 partners), Namibia (2 partners), DR Congo, Ghana, South Sudan, Liberia, Honduras, Jamaica, and Armenia. You can donate to AKI’s general fund or designate your donation to one or more of our Partner Organizations.
 Our 2021 grantees work in: Ghana, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (3 grantees).

 AKI: Since 2007, helping animals and the people who care for them in some of the poorest countries. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations to AKI are tax deductible in the US to the extent the law allows. 100% of your donations go to our Partners & Grant Program.