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Importance of donkeys

Donkeys have been a cornerstone in human existence and they still there in the entire communities today, ferrying water, food and crops. They are highly intelligent creatures, sociable and calm, capable of independent thinking and decision making. They are strong and won’t do something they consider unsafe, which makes them a great, trusted companion. Donkeys are, quite simply, amazing. 

There are approximately 2.1 million donkeys in Kenya and sadly so many are subjected to neglect and abuse, overworked and left in agony to die. This happens due to a lack of education, a lack of understanding of what good care looks like and the hardships of day to day life facing families and communities across the world. Many drive their donkeys into the grave simply out of a need to survive, to ensure their children and families are fed and sheltered. And when those families can no longer depend on their donkeys, more often than not its women, children and particularly girls who feel the impact most. Everyone’s lives are destroyed.

Despite the increase in mechanization, donkeys are still well deserving of the name ‘beasts of burden’. Throughout the world, they play an important role in the transport of people and goods in rural, arid and semi-arid areas and where roads are poor or non-existent. 

 A notable increase in the use of donkeys for tillage is evident in East Africa as the number of draft cattle on small farms have declined. This has resulted in changing perceptions of the value of the donkey in many rural communities that rely on animal power for crop production. Other than for labor, donkeys are the only alternative to oxen on many smallholder farms in East Africa. They are the cheapest form of farm power other than human labor, and therefore within reach of the “poorest of the poor”; they are available to women in cultures where men usually manage the draft animals and are therefore able to alleviate the drudgery of women’s household activities, such as water and firewood carrying.

These two situations have resulted in an extraordinary increase in interest in the donkey since 1990 by both farmers and aid agencies as well as a realization that little is understood of donkeys’ requirements, potential for improvement and contribution to rural livelihoods. The challenge facing farmers is to make the best use of the resources that they have available, while the challenge to livestock researchers and extension officers is to provide information that will help farmers do this. Donkeys have developed very loud vocalizations, which help them to keep in contact with other donkeys over the wide spaces of the desert.

KONW MORE

• 
  Importance of donkeys
  
• 
  Why we should care
  
• 
  Donkeys in East Africa
  
• 
  Adopt a Donkey
  

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