As we get ready to send emergency funds to our Partner Organizations that are working through the covid-19 pandemic, we want you to know what we're doing right now to help animal welfare organizations affected by the coronavirus. At the top of each of our Partner pages on the AKI website, you can read regular updates about how our Partners are managing during these challenging times and the restrictions they are facing within their countries. You'll see that most of our Partners are continuing their essential work, although some at a reduced level:
Uganda SPCA has about 300 dogs and cats at The Haven, about 80 more than they usually have. Haven staff continue to rescue animals, relinquishment numbers are up, and because of travel restrictions and so much uncertainty, adoption numbers are down. We'll send funds to the USPCA so they can feed animals, cover Haven staff salaries, and continue their essential work.
Have A Heart-Namibia continues to use AKI's Emergency Fund to get critical vet care for low/no income pet owners. We'll replenish the Emergency Fund.
Liberia Animal Welfare & Conservation Society's animal care clinic continues to operate with safeguards in place-the LAWCS clinic provides the only animal care in Lofa County, with a human population of more than 300,000! Humane Educators are under country-wide quarantine, but continue to visit with pet owners in their communities (wearing PPE) to ensure all pet needs are met. We'll make sure that LAWCS has the funds they need to continue operating the clinic.
Kingston Community Animal Welfare continues to feed street cats and dogs, albeit with significant logistical challenges. Due to quarantine orders, Deborah plans 1 week ahead and distributes food for the upcoming week to her animal helper network. We'll ensure that KCAW has the funds they need to purchase cat and dog food for about 550 animals each week. (Picture below: A mama dog and her puppy that Deborah saw on March 31 while driving to distribute food. KCAW re-homed the puppy and is providing food for mama; when spay services are once again available, KCAW will get her spayed.)
More about how we are helping right now in our AKI Blog posts.....The AKI Blog
In April, we added 4 AKI Blog posts with updates about the work of our Partners and Grant Recipients:
From our Partner Organizations
Bam Animal Clinics- caring for donkeys through locust outbreaks and covid-19. Bam-Uganda is not only working through this difficult time, they are preparing for their post-covid world, when they will expand their reach in eastern Uganda and help many more donkeys in need. We are still trying to raise funds so that Bam can purchase a motorbike to treat donkeys in outlying, mountainous areas.
Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras-working through the covid-19 crisis. In this post, you'll meet HHHH's newest residents and get reacquainted with some of the long-time residents. (Picture below shows Gabriel, who is helping Pilar clean the HHHH Sanctuary and care for the dogs and cats, but more than that, he shops for pet food and supplies because the restrictive curfew in Tegucigalpa prevents Pilar from leaving her home/HHHH Sanctuary for more than 2 hours/week.)
From our Grant Recipients
Save Animals Raises Awareness of the Joy of Pets-SA in the Democratic Republic of Congo completed their grant project, which included 6 TV episodes (links are in the post), school and orphanage visits, making and selling items for pets-all geared toward increasing interest in, kindness to, and the joy of pets.
Sibanye Trust meets the needs of animals in Lupane district, Zimbabwe - with a focus on providing vet care for animals adjacent to national parks, Sibanye Trust helped 1020 donkeys, 764 dogs, and 1 cat, as well as countless wild animals by decreasing the risk of disease transmission between domestic and wild animals.
AKI's Third Annual Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program (how we'll be helping in the near future) We're gearing up for our 2020 grant program and expect to accept proposals from June 1-July 15 and announce grant awards after the 1st week of August. Within a few weeks, we'll post the grant application, guidelines, and FAQs on the AKI website and AKI Facebook page. We'll also provide a link to the grant information in our May newsletter. Meanwhile, if you're thinking about applying, please see information about our 2018 and 2019 grants here, where you can find out about the types of projects we've support. We invite donors to support our grant program, the only grant program that targets Africa-based animal welfare organizations, a part of the world where there is still a huge gap in funding for animal protection. Over the past 2 years, we had planned to support 4 grants/year, but because of our generous supporters, we've been able to fund 8 in 2018 and again in 2019. One of our donors who contributed the full amount of a grant said: "This was one of the most satisfying uses of my money ever. To think that I am solely responsible for helping so many cats and dogs in a far away country."
We're in the News!
Thank you to Donkeys for Africa for continuing to highlight AKI support for donkey welfare. In their April edition, Donkeys for Africa writes about AKI Partner, Bam Animal Clinics, "Treat for Free" program here.
We're also grateful to The Drifter's Guide for publishing our article about helping animals during the covid-19 crisis, which you can read here.
And new on the AKI website, our 1st 2020 pie charts are now available showing how AKI donor funds have been used in Namibia and by Bam Clinics-Uganda.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! AKI donors support our 10 Partner Organizations in Uganda (2 partners), Tanzania, South Sudan, Namibia, Liberia, Ghana, Armenia, Jamaica, and Honduras; and AKI's Grant Program for Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organizations (2019 grant recipients are located in: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Mozambique, and South Africa.)
Thank you so much for your continued support and faith in our work during these difficult times.
Please share our newsletter widely and help us spread the message, Kindness to Animals has no Boundaries
With Gratitude,
Karen Menczer, Founder & Director
&
the AKI Board