By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa, Nov. 20, GNA – A survey by ActionAid Ghana (AAG) has revealed a significant transformation in community perceptions about the welfare, care and general attitude of people towards donkeys, particularly in the Sissala East Municipality.
The survey, which was conducted under the “Empowering Stakeholders and Communities for Sustainable Welfare of Donkeys to support Women Livelihoods in Upper West Ghana” project, also revealed that donkeys had a great potential to improve the livelihoods of owners, especially women, when properly cared for.
Dr. Richard Kwamena Abbiw, a Veterinary Doctor at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, revealed this in Wa in a presentation on the survey findings during a National Conference on Donkey Welfare.
Traditional leaders, veterinary technicians, heads of departments, school children and women donkey owners, among others, attended the Conference organised by ActionAid Ghana under the Project.
ActionAid Ghana implemented the project in 24 communities, including Nanchalla, Challu and Chinchang in the Sissala East Municipality in partnership with Action for Sustainable Development (ASUDEV) and Ghana Society for the Protection and Care for Animals (GSPCA), funded by the Donkey Sanctuary in UK.
Dr. Abbiw, the Project Consultant, explained that donkeys were undervalued despite their critical role in enhancing rural livelihoods, especially for women donkey owners.
He, however, observed that the project had led to a rapid change in public attitudes toward donkeys within two years.
“…what I will keep on hammering is the change in perception. If people change their mindsets about things, they believe in them, and if they believe in them, with little effort, we can change the way they relate to them”, he explained.
Dr. Abbiw noted that the project had empowered communities to self-examine their donkeys and seek veterinary support, indicating increased commitment to responsible care for donkeys.
He said it had also led to an increase in donkey population, estimating over 2,000 donkeys in the operational areas, and empowered veterinary technicians to manage donkey-related conditions.
Mr Justin Bayor, the Head of Programmes, Campaigns and Innovations, ActionAid Ghana, said the project formed part of AAG’s strategic priority on Women’s Rights and Decent Work, which sought to reduce, recognise, and redistribute the burden of unpaid care work.
“The donkey plays a vital role in alleviating the burden women face, but its welfare has long been neglected”, he stated, and said the project was designed to close that gap.
Mr Bayor said over 5,000 schoolchildren and 1,620 women donkey owners had received education on humane treatment for donkeys, resulting in an improvement in public attitudes towards donkeys.
He said AAG was exploring opportunities to expand donkey welfare initiatives to other parts of northern Ghana where donkeys also played critical roles in rural livelihoods.
Mr Huudu Abu, the Upper West Regional Director of Agriculture, indicated that donkeys were “sentimental and deserve humane treatment, proper care and our collective respect.”
He emphasised the need for a national framework that recognised donkeys’ welfare since investing in donkeys’ well-being would help strengthen rural livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
Madam Fatima Yussif, a donkey owner from Nanchalla, thanked AAG and its partners for the intervention, as they were oblivious to the importance of providing appropriate care for donkeys.
She indicated that the Nanchalla community was one of the two communities that had a borehole under the project to improve their water access and to hydrate the donkeys.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Christian Akorlie