The proposal on improving livestock utilization and management is based on Donkeys, which are used to provide transportation to different goods. These working animals are mainly used in transportation of goods from one place to any other in rural areas and suburban. The aim of the project is to improve animal’s welfare and livelihoods support initiatives in developing countries with the objectives like to impart knowledge and skills necessary for effective and sustainable utilization and management of donkeys to all donkey keepers and raise awareness to donkey keepers on the welfare of working animals based on the existing legal mechanisms, ensure local community, working animal’s keepers and other groups they treat animals humanely especially Donkeys when they are working and provide essential needs like food, water, shelter, and required treatment.
Introduction
Background
The ABC Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals founded in Year YYYY as Non-Governmental organisation (NGO) and registered under Society act XXXXXX of XXXX by XXXXXXX with Registration Number XXXXX. The society is built up with member from Government and Private institution and local people from XXXXXX and XXXXXX.
The main objectives of organization:
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- To protect, conserve and provide education on environmental resources, both in terrestrial and marine.
- To protect, promote animal’s welfare and promote human education programmes to encourage respect of animals and responsible stewardship, and laws enforcement structures to provide legal protection to animals.
- To collaborate with the government through legally established institutions in protecting, conserving and educating citizens on the importance of environmental conservation and animal’s welfare issues.
- To produce, promote and distribute literature and materials, teaching manuals, guide books and reading materials to assist in this work by reaching out to the wider community on the importance of environmental conservation and animal’s welfare issues.
- To advice the government and its institutions on the issues concerned policy formulation, legal framework and other matters related thereto, in order protect flora and fauna.
Challenges on Working Animals in XXXXXX:
Donkeys are the animals, which are used to provide transportation to different goods. These working animals are mainly used by people of lower classes in transportation of goods from one place to any other in rural areas and suburban.
Presently, the uses of these animals are increasing with the increasing cost of transportation by other means. So they act as alternative means of transportation; youngsters use this opportunity to create self-employment and away of generating income for their livelihoods.
Irrationally, Donkeys are often associated with poverty and hard conditions, whereas they are often used to alleviate such poverty. They are often part of the solution, yet their image is with the problem itself.
In XXXXXX, Donkeys assist lower and medium class’s communities in cart transport for larger quantities of numerous items including water, wood, grain and other food stuff, agricultural inputs (manure, seeds, fertilizers, and tools), forage, bricks, cloves, coconut and other building materials.
Despite being very helpful, Donkeys are subject to:
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- Overloaded beyond its carrying capacity,
- No time of resting – working the whole day,
- Not getting adequate essential needed (Food, Water, Treatment, Shelter)
- Cruelty treated with beating heavily when they are working.
Project Objectives
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- To impart knowledge and skills necessary for effective and sustainable utilization and management of Donkeys to all donkey keepers,
- Raise awareness to donkey keepers on the welfare of working animals based on the existing legal mechanisms,
- Ensure local community, working animal’s keepers and other groups they treat animals humanely especially Donkeys when they are working and provide essential needs (food, water, shelter, and treatment).
Project Activities
Weekly meeting and training session with Donkey Keepers in groups:
The major subjects that expected to be delivered/ discussed during this meetings and training to the Donkey keepers/drivers includes:-
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- History on the use of Donkeys as means of transportation in XXXXXX and other parts of East Africa,
- Legal instruments protecting working animals in XXXXXXX and roles of each stakeholders concerning law enforcement,
- General working Animal’s Welfare and Nutrition,
- Working Animal’s Utilization and Management, and
- Providing knowledge on proper methods of harnessing donkeys carts to all Donkey keepers.
Provision of guides for better working animal management:
The donkey keepers (drivers) would be given a copy of guides (with simple understandable language and pictures) to guide them during their day-to-day activities with working animals especially donkeys.
The guides shall describe appropriate methods and techniques for better working animal management, rules and regulation governing the use of working animals, nutrition cycle and diagnosis of common diseases to donkeys.
Law enforcement
After the training concerning the legal instruments protecting working animals in XXXXXX law enforcement will be started to take place. The act governing the welfare of animals release right to NGO and anyone to work on this issue, The ABC animal society will takes this opportunity to work on it with collaboration with other institutions such as police, local NGOs etc.
Expected results
At the end of the project, it is expected that:
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- All donkey keepers will have enough basic knowledge and skills to care their working animals,
- Donkey keepers will be aware on rules and regulation govern the use of working animals will be adhered to, penalty for any offenses they can practice,
- Methods of harnessing and cart manufacture will be improved to suitable ways, and
- Resolutions from the project beneficiaries will be developed as a way forward towards effective use of working animals.
Project activities indicators:
In order to be able to measure the success of all activities at the end of the project, several indicators chosen to measure project success, are as follow:-
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- Number of donkey owner and keepers during project period,
- Number of donkey benefited directly from project activities,
- Number of other local peoples rather than donkey owners/ keepers reached during the project period,
- Number and quality of different guides produced, modified, translated and distributed during project period,
- Number of improved cart and harnessing methods manufactured or adopted by donkey keepers during project period,
- Number of cases and peoples arrested during project period,
Project duration and beneficiaries:
The project expected to take place in XXXXXX and will be for one year. All donkey keepers from XXXXXX could be participating. The target groups mainly those people who are using working animal’s keepers. Some few local communities also will be beneficiaries of this project.
Project Cost
The project could cost about XXXXX the estimated required from donor support is XXXXXX and other cost shall be covered by the Society.
Workshop Administration
The implementing organization will administer the project in collaboration with other stakeholder, Department of Livestock Development in provision of staff for technical support.
Project reporting system:
The Project Manager will be responsible of managing project activities. The Project Manager will also keep all records of the expenditures. After every three months and at the end of the project, Project Manager shall write Narrative reports and financial reports; one copy submitted to donor agency and other copies distributed to institutions which play role in project administration.
Co-ordination
For successful achievements of the project objectives the following institutions will be involved during implementation:
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- Department of Livestock.
- Department of XXXXXXX.
- Local Government Authorities: District Administration will help avail community as equal partners during project implementation.
