Kindness to Animals has no Boundaries
August 2024
Dear Animal-Kind Friends,
There are so many people who made this year’s Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program such a great success (and it’s only just begun!): Thank you to Stacey, who offered the matching donation so that we could fund two extra grant projects this year; thank you to everyone who donated to help us meet the match (we raised the match and more!); thank you to our 9-member proposal review panel—wow, you did an amazing job in our most difficult selection process in the 7 years of our grant program (not only did we receive more proposals than ever before—a total of 77, but these were the best proposals we’ve ever gotten); thanks also goes to all of you who submitted proposals, even those who didn’t get a grant, we’re grateful for the work you do for animals; and thank you to our TEN 2024 AFRICA-BASED ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION GRANTEES. I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll achieve thanks to our AKI supporters and to the only grant program that targets ONLY African animal welfare organizations and that’s entirely supported by individual donors (YOU!).
Our 2024 Grant Winners
Our 2024 grantees work in: Tanzania (2 grantees), Kenya (2 grantees), South Africa (4 grantees), Rwanda, and Israel. Four of the grant projects will benefit horses and donkeys (photo below, Starting Over in Israel). One of the grant projects will benefit cats (photo below, Nairobi Feline Sanctuary), and one will help both cats and dogs. Four will benefit dogs (photo above), but won’t turn away a cat in need! Two organizations are 3rd time AKI grantees; three are 2nd time grantees; and five are 1st time recipients. Each grantee and their grant project is described on our Grant Program 2024 page, where we’ll also be posting updates about their work.
The ten grant projects will run for two to six months and during that time, through our newsletters, AKI Blog posts, and on our social media pages, you’ll be able to find out much more about each organization and their grant project and to donate towards their lifesaving work.
The AKI grant to Nairobi Feline Sanctuary will fund the repair of the electrical system at the sanctuary, which was destroyed by heavy rains and flooding. The new system will take into account and mitigate for the “new normal”—due to climate change, devastating rains and floods have become more common.
Nairobi Feline Sanctuary (Kenya)
Little Paws, Big Hearts (South Africa)
Starting Over (Israel)
SPCA Grahamstown (South Africa)
Welfare for Animals Guild (Rwanda)
Kenya SPCA (Kenya)
Lake Zone Animal Welfare Organization (Tanzania)
amaTrac uluntu (South Africa)
Tanzania Small Animal Veterinary Organization (Tanzania)
Blind Love (South Africa)
The AKI Blog: Avoid the Scam
Since our last newsletter in July, there’s only one new article in the AKI Blog, but it’s an important one:
Avoid getting scammed by the animal rescue scam: The scammers approach you through a mutual interest (in this case, animals), gain your friendship and your trust. They use all social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok, X, and others that I don’t even know about). They’ve scammed 1000s of USD, and the victims aren’t only the people who give their hard-earned money, but also the legitimate animal welfare organizations that are losing out on donations and the dogs and cats that are used and abused by scammers. Read about how to spot them, avoid them, and what to do about them.
Animal Friendly Kids Camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo!
I owe so much of who I am today to my experience at summer camp. My interest in nature, my love of wildlife, and ultimately, my career in wildlife conservation can all be traced back to what I experienced and learned at camp. That’s one reason why I’m such a believer in the Sauvons nos Animaux Animal Friendly Kids Camp. Running every day for 7 to 8 weeks, with up to 200 kids on the busiest days, the camp takes place at our Partner Organization’s shelter, Sauvons nos Animaux.
The 1st two weeks of camp were spent familiarizing campers with the shelter and the resident cats and dogs and teaching them how to approach and handle animals (photos above). During the next couple weeks (including this one, the 4th week), the kids participated in hands-on activities: washing dogs (photo, below), walking dogs, playing with cats, grooming cats, brushing dogs, socializing the shelter animals, and helping the staff with shelter tasks, like feeding, providing clean water, and cleaning the pens and grounds. All activities are closely supervised by the very capable SnA volunteers (photo, below), who have all attended camp and/or been part of the SnA Youth Club.
While that alone is amazing, what makes the existence of Animal Friendly Kids Camp (and Sauvons nos Animaux) more striking is that the camp takes place in eastern Congo, a place more commonly known for armed conflict and natural disasters. Animal Friendly Kids Camp (and the Sauvons nos Animaux Youth Club, that runs year-round) are the only opportunities for kids to have a positive experience with animals that will last a lifetime, one that will likely affect how they interact with animals for the rest of their lives.
That’s why this year, when SnA Founder/Director Paterne told us he might not be able to hold the camp due to lack of funding, Animal-Kind International came through to cover 100% of the costs of the camp (daily lunches, supplies, stipends).
Although for the past two months we’ve been very focused on our 2024/7th annual grant program, we’ve still been helping our ten Partner Organizations by providing a regular source of funds to them. They’ve all been very busy-even while we’ve been a bit sidetracked on grants.
Because of your kindness and willingness to look beyond your physical borders, in 2024, we’ve been able to financially support 20 organizations in 14 countries, and provide technical and admin support to two more organizations through our Friendly Audit Program, for a total of 22 organizations in 14 countries.
Together, we’re changing the world for the better for animals. Thank you,
Karen Menczer, Founder/Director
& the Animal-Kind International Board
All the info you need to donate and to upload a photo to be made into a digital, one-of-a-kind Pet Portrait is at the link above.
AKI has Partner Organizations in Uganda, Namibia, DR Congo, Ghana, South Sudan, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Honduras, and Jamaica. You can donate to AKI’s general fund or designate your donation to one or more of our Partner Organizations.
Our 2024 (7th annual) Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program grantees work in: Kenya (2 grantees), Tanzania (2 grantees), South Africa (4 grantees), Rwanda, and Israel.
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 are used to support our Partner Organizations & our Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program.