UK charity Safe Haven for Donkeys is calling for support for a new pilot project providing critical veterinary care for thousands of donkeys and mules working in the brick kilns in Egypt.
There are approximately 1,000 brick kilns in Egypt, manufacturing building materials to satisfy the country’s housing boom. Due to the availability and cost of machinery, donkeys and mules play an important role in the manufacturing process, namely in moving the sun-dried bricks by cart to the furnaces for firing.
The donkeys and mules carry heavy loads of bricks weighing around 1.4 to 1.6 tonnes, (1,400 to 1,700kg) and move at an intense pace, in order to prevent unfired bricks cracking in the day’s heat. These vulnerable animals do not have the urgent veterinary care they need, due to a region-wide lack of available expertise in the Al Giza desert. They have not received treatment for many years and are suffering unimaginable pain due to harness and saddle wounds, beatings, teeth and hoof issues and parasitic diseases spread by flies.
In collaboration with local Egyptian community development charity, the Bridge Foundation (El Gesr), Safe Haven for Donkeys are working in the area of El Saf, 100 km south of Cairo in the Al Giza desert. The project is focusing its support on 120-180 tightly grouped brick kilns where around 3,000 working donkeys and mules work tirelessly to produce millions of bricks all year round. The initial year-long project includes a mobile veterinary clinic made up of a highly experienced equine vet, as well as two farriers – one of which was a brick kiln owner himself.
The team are treating common injuries and infections, such as those from poor harnessing, overgrown hooves and bad teeth, which are easily treatable and go a long way in improving the lives of the animals who work so hard for so little. Alongside treatment the team are providing training for the owners on how best to look after their animals – ensuring more nourishing food, adequate rest and the correct use of harnesses and saddles to avoid wounds. In this way, Safe Haven helps to ensure that with the right care, donkeys will not need to suffer.
The team urgently needs to raise £60,000 to fund the first year of the Egyptian mobile veterinary clinic, ensuring they have the medicine and equipment necessary to treat sick and injured donkeys at the El Saf brick kilns. Whilst the project will directly impact on the 3,000 animals located in the kilns, it will also improve the lives of many thousands more. Through the training sessions with professionals, the local community are set to benefit as they also rely heavily on working equids for farming and transport.
Safe Haven for Donkeys began in 2000 with focused support in Israel and the Palestinian territories and has been supporting 10,000 equids a year for the past 20 years. Safe Haven’s new project in Egypt aims to support 1,000 donkeys in the first few months alone.
Safe Haven for Donkeys CEO, Andy Foxcroft:
“Through our work in Israel and the West Bank we came to know of millions of working animals in neighbouring Egypt without critical veterinary care, suffering a host of preventable and treatable painful conditions. Currently no other animal welfare charity provides veterinary interventions in these particular kilns, hence the need for Safe Haven’s expertise, on the ground, treating sick and injured animals and providing training for owners and local professionals (vets and farriers). This first year is vital as we hope to make a lasting impact by reducing the unnecessary suffering of working animals, which sadly, is all too common a feature in the brick kilns.
Andy continues: “The estimated annual cost of the project will be £60,000 in the first year or £192 to fund the mobile veterinary team for a day, to provide treatment to hundreds of donkeys in the brick kilns. Just £20 can help turn the life around for a distressed donkey and ensure instant pain relief through vital veterinary care. Your contribution will also support its owner to help that donkey to live a longer, healthier life. With your support, Safe Haven can provide instant pain relief for thousands of vulnerable working donkeys. Making a huge impact – one animal at a time”.
The project is being backed by several VIPs including the actor and animal activist Peter Egan, who has been a patron of the charity since 2020.
Peter comments: “Having been an animal activist for many years, I have seen working animals being mistreated across the world. I congratulate Safe Haven for Donkeys for expanding their compassionate work in Israel and the West Bank into Egypt to help even more donkeys, mules and horses.”
For more information and to support Safe Haven for Donkeys project in Egypt visit https://www.safehaven4donkeys.org/egypt-2023
