Brooke provides emergency food and water to donkeys in Kenya

Along with their owners, Kenya’s working donkeys are suffering from lack of food and water. Government aid has started, but working donkeys are currently being left out of current emergency response action, so Brooke’s team in Nairobi have stepped in. Alongside their day to day work, they will be providing water to 13,100 donkeys, and feed to 800. It’s estimated that one donkey can support a family of six, so the work is also set to benefit 80,000 people.

Below average rainfall has caused a drought in Kenya, and on 10 Feb the Government declared the current drought a national disaster. It is affecting 23 arid and semi-arid counties and pockets of other areas and is expected to last until July 2017.

Dil Peeling, Head of Animal Welfare and Sustainability at Brooke said:

“Crippling seasonal drought is becoming more frequent in Africa. We saw it where we work in Senegal in 2015, and now in Kenya.

“Working donkeys are vital to people’s livelihoods here – they carry water and food for families, fuel and building materials. They help people earn the money they use to put food on the table and children in school.

“Time is running out – we need to act now.”

The drought situation is set to get worse over the coming weeks. To help thousands of people and their working donkeys, support the Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys appeal. Go to http://bit.ly/droughtdonkeys to be part of the solution.