Kindness to Animals has no Boundaries
June 2022
Dear Animal-Kind Friends,
(Live links have been removed, but you can always go to our AKI Blog page or the individual Partner Organization page to read more)
It seems that all causes have their celebrity campaigners and wealthy donors. Except for animal welfare, especially animal welfare in poorer regions of the world. How do we find those campaigners and high value donors (where’s the Bill Gates for animal welfare)? If only a Bill Gates-style philanthropist would read some of the 65 applications we received to our 2022 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program, they’d be convinced to lend their support!
The needs are huge, yet the donor base for animal welfare in poor parts of the world is tiny in comparison, while the animal welfare organizations are dedicated and making changes, working with so few resources. Imagine what they could do if they were better funded.
We’re trying to grow that donor base, and we’re grateful for your help, for letting your friends, family, and colleagues, who care about animals, know about the needs and about AKI; for spreading the word beyond your close contacts; for sending your support and ideas to us—what do you think can be done to help fill these needs?
Updates from our AKI Partners
AKI Partner, Sauvons nos Animaux in the DR Congo, relies on AKI donor support to purchase food for the +/- 200 cats and dogs at their shelter. When funds are left over, they’ll purchase medicines and supplies for the shelter. Sadly, SnA still deals with far too much cruelty-beatings and abandoned and starving dogs and cats. But thanks to you, we’re helping SnA give all rescued dogs and cats healthier and happier lives.
Photo above: Feeding time at the SnA shelter in eastern DR Congo. Thanks to AKI donor support for their shelter, SnA can spend more time focusing outside the shelter, addressing cruelty, raising awareness about the needs of and kindness to cats and dogs, and when necessary, rescuing animals from bad situations. Support from our donors is crucial for ensuring that 200 cats and dogs at the SnA shelter get healthy food every day.
Since 2016, we’ve been a big supporter of AKI Partner, Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society, because we so believe in their work, which combines helping animals in the most remote/difficult to reach parts of Liberia with humane education/raising awareness of animal welfare and care. Everyone who brings pets to LAWCS outreach clinics receives information about kindness to and good care of animals. LAWCS spreads the message of kindness, as well, in schools and community-wide, reaching community elders to the youngest students.
Photo above: This sweet and patient dog named Lion visits LAWCS Humane Ed classes to show students how to behave around dogs, including when to be cautious, how to tell when a dog is friendly and approachable, and to illustrate how to provide good care and be kind to dogs. Without LAWCS community animal welfare work, it is doubtful that people in Liberia would hear this message of animal kindness. With LAWCS community animal welfare work, we have seen such a difference in the way animals are treated in Lofa County, Liberia v. in other parts of Liberia.
To ensure Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society can reach areas of greatest need, AKI funded the purchase of a new motorbike. In the picture above, Animal Health Care Officer, Abie is heading to a remote village in Zorzor District to hold a community animal care clinic where he provides vaccinations, de-worming, flea, tick, and mange treatment, treats injuries, and explains to all community members how to care for their pets.
AKI Partner Uganda Society for the Protection & Care of Animals is moving along with construction at the new Haven shelter location, most of which is funded by donations to AKI (thank you!). These are the most recent pictures from a few days ago, above: 1) 8 pens now have a frame, ready for roofs to be placed; 2) the wood burning stove in the kitchen (which is also awaiting a roof); and 3) the slab for the office.
This month, while I was in Ghana for work other than AKI, I met with AKI Partner Ghana Society for the Protection & Care of Animals to discuss results of their Humane Ed Program and their future plans. I was excited to hear some of the stories about previous Humane Ed students and the work they’re now doing to help animals. And I’m hopeful for their future and the work they’ve planned—more about Humane Ed Program success stories in future newsletters. (Photo: GSPCA President David, left; GSPCA Humane Ed Specialist Aluizah, right).
In Ghana, I also spent time with HorseSafety, a 2021 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Recipient. We visited 4 horse stables in Accra (including the “American” Stable, photo 1); and Eva’s ranch, where some of HorseSafety’s rescues are (including Mr K, photo 2, who was rescued from the race track after having collapsed during a race; in this photo he’s getting his teeth cleaned and Sharon, rescued from the roadside, barely able to stand, with her new baby, Sunrise in photo 3.)
From AKI Partner Have a Heart-Namibia, we received these maps to show how far AKI support for Have a Heart reaches (photo 1, since 2016, when we started supporting HaH and photo 2, just in the 1st 6 months of 2022, the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund and AKI support to HaH’s Lifetime Care Program).
Along with the maps, HaH’s Geesche sent this information about Namibia: Namibia is a vast country! Texas is approximately 678,052 sq km, while Namibia is approximately 824,292 sq km, making Namibia 22% larger than Texas. Meanwhile, the population of Texas is ~25.1 million people, the population of Namibia is 2.5 million. Because of the long distances and the small population, many animals live hundreds of kilometers away from a vet. On top of that, many people in Namibia live in poverty. It is estimated only 30% of all animals will see a vet in their lifetime.
Animal-Kind International makes it possible for many pets living with their owners under the breadline to seek medical treatment after an accident or when ill. Not a single one of the dogs and cats helped through the AKI-HaH Emergency Fund would have had this fair chance of a healthy life without Animal-Kind International. Thank you Animal-Kind International!
AKI’s 2022 Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program
We received 65 eligible proposals to our 5th annual Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program. That’s 13 more proposals than we received last year, which was previously the highest number at 52. We received proposals from as far south as South Africa and as far north as Morocco, as far west as Guinea, and as far east as Somalia. Almost 2/3 of the proposals are for projects that will help cats and/or dogs, almost 1/3 are for donkeys and/or horses, and a few are for chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, and/or cows; some combine all animals.
The AKI Board winnowed down the proposals and handed over a list of finalists to our external proposal evaluation committee for their review and recommendations. The AKI Board will review the committee’s evaluations and make the final decisions. We’ll announce awards on August 1. Instead of sending a newsletter towards the end of the month with AKI news for July, I’ll send the next newsletter just after August 1 so you can be among the first to hear who our 2022 grantees will be. And we'll post the news on our grants 2022 page on our website.
For a donation of $12 or more to AKI, you can get a Pet Portrait or Pet & Person Portrait! Just go to our Donate page to see examples and to find out how to request your PP or P & PP!
None of this would be possible without YOU!
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.
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