AKI News: July/August 2021
This year’s was the most competitive and difficult selection process of the 4 years we’ve held the Africa-Based Animal Welfare Organization Grant Program (and that explains why this newsletter combines July & August—we were soooo busy in July, we didn’t have time to write a newsletter before the month ended!)
We received 52 proposals, the most ever (last year’s was our 2nd highest, with 50 proposals). It wasn’t only about the number though, the proposals again showed us the huge need and the amazing efforts that so many Africa-based animal welfare organizations undertake with so little.
Thank you SO much to our wonderful external evaluation committee. Your help was beyond measure. You each bring a knowledgeable and different perspective to the evaluation process, making it much richer, more transparent and accountable, as well as participatory.
Thank you also VERY much to our very generous supporters. Our grant program —like all we do—is 100% funded by individual donors. We are so grateful that again this year, your donations have allowed us to support 5 more grants than we had anticipated, for a total of NINE!
Three of the 2021 grant recipients received a grant from us in 2020, one received a grant in 2019, and five of our 2021 grant recipients are entirely new.
Here are the 2021 winners:
Above: Saza, a mare at Kingdomstable, injured by the rope used to tie her
Horsesafety (Ghana): Horsesafety will provide veterinary and other improved care for horses at Kingdomstable. Reaching beyond this one stable, Horsesafety will invite vets and caretakers to the stable to raise awareness of the importance of professional care, good nutrition, and improved practices to help ensure that accidents, like what happened to Saza when she was tied up with no one attending to her, no longer happen.
Matebeleland Animal Rescue & Equine Sanctuary (Zimbabwe): MARES will focus their donkey welfare work in Old Pumula, where they will improve the method used to harness donkeys to wagons. MARES experience shows that their recommended measures will reduce harness wounds by 90% and rub wounds by 100%.
Mthatha Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (South Africa): The Mthatha SPCA will fence off their grazing area to keep confiscated cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys safe when they are rescued from neglect, abuse, traffic accidents, or found wandering on roads. The animals won’t be able to wander beyond the safety of the SPCA and will no longer be at risk of being stolen (and inhumanely slaughtered).
Above: Welcome to the Mthatha SPCA (Eastern Cape), where the SPCA kitty greets you upon arrival.
Nairobi Feline Sanctuary (Kenya): Also a 2020 grant recipient, NFS will construct 40 cages for cats in recovery, nursing cats, and new cats out of quarantine, and will construct a a simple quarantine structure to hold new ferals before releasing to the general population.
Nyendwa Mobile Veterinary Clinic (Zambia): A 2019 grant recipient, NYEMOVEC will focus on a very poor, remote part of Zambia, where they will continue to bring much-needed veterinary care to cats and dogs and education to pet owners.
Sauvons nos Animaux (Democratic Republic of Congo): The AKI grant will cover veterinary care and the salary of a vet and vet assistant for 6 months at the SnA shelter, the only shelter for cats and dogs in eastern DRC. Among other care, the grant will allow SnA to catch up on spays/neuters that they had been unable to afford. SnA was also a 2020 grant recipient.
Tikobane Trust-Humane Africa Trust (Zimbabwe): This partnership between two organizations in Zimbabwe (Tikobane was a 2020 grant recipient) will focus on showcasing the “five animal freedoms” using innovative, community-based methods.
Veterinarians for Animal Welfare (Zimbabwe): VAWZ will sterilize 40 dogs and give the 5-in-1 vaccine, and vaccinate another 200 dogs against rabies, as well as treat walk-in clients during rural animal clinics in Mugura and Blue Ridge areas, Christon Bank. This was one of our sponsored grants, fully funded and designated by a generous donor to AKI.
Welfare for Animals Guild Rwanda: The AKI grant will strengthen WAG’s presence in local communities by providing essential supplies and equipment for the Shelter Manager and by developing a digital community network of vetted local dog owners and lovers who can support one another in their animal rescue efforts—multiplying the impact of WAG several times over.
The Animal-Kind Blog (July 2021)
July’s AKI Blog posts are about three of our Partner Organizations and one post is from a guest blogger who writes about a new way of thinking about dog and cat rescue and protection in Armenia.
Kingston Community Animal Welfare-Unbelievable Part 2: - More almost unbelievable rescue stories from our AKI Partner Organization in Jamaica.
Have A Heart-Namibia: The AKI Emergency Fund is well-used and used up! (Although thanks to donors who responded to our post on Facebook, it’s been replenished a bit.)
Above: After we requested donations on Facebook to the AKI-HAH Emergency Fund, you generously donated, replenishing the Fund, which was then used to help Glitter (and kitty Snowy too-more about Snowy later), who had blood in his urine. He was seen by a vet, and had a blood test and ultrasound. Glitter is being treated for idiopathic cystitis (painful!), is doing well, and is back at home with his family.
Helping Hands for Hounds of Honduras-Happy 25th Anniversary! - Pilar writes about how things have changed in Honduras since she started rescuing dogs.
A new way to help street animals in Yerevan, Armenia - Gayane writes about creating individual shelters at residential and commercial yards in Yerevan, where street cats and dogs can be safe, fed, and watched over. Our Partner Organization in Armenia, Save Animals-Armenia, has steadily and purposefully been decreasing the number of dogs at the SA-A shelter and focusing more on helping street animals. This could be a model for future sheltering, rescuing, and care.
For a $12 donation to AKI—>a Pet Portrait by Joan
Donate $12, request a Pet Portrait for your donation, follow that up with an email message and a good quality digital photo, and within a few days, Joan will deliver your Pet Portrait as a jpeg that you can print for your wall, t- shirt, coffee mug, or anywhere else you’d like to see your pet.
Remy: Pet Portrait by Joan
We strive to be 100% accountable, transparent, and honest with our supporters…..because that’s what we-the AKI Board-expect from non-profits that we support (and of course, we also support AKI!). We hope we meet your expectations, but if you ever have a question about how donations are used-or anything else we do, please get in touch. We value your thoughts, input, and recommendations. And we are forever grateful for your support, which is truly changing the lives of animals for the better.