2021: A year of triumphs
Our CEO Chris Wainwright reflects on Brooke's successes in 2021.
Over a year on from joining Brooke, I continue to be inspired by the way colleagues around the world have adapted in the face of an ever-changing landscape, ensuring that hardworking animals and communities continue to receive the support they need.
Following the launch of our 2020/21 Annual Report, I wanted to highlight some of the ways in which I’m proud of Brooke and our ongoing mission to deliver sustainable change, despite the difficulties that Covid-19 has thrown at us.
We reached 1.6 million animals in 2021
In 2021, 1.6 million working horses, donkeys and mules directly benefited from activities delivered by Brooke, our partners or affiliates, exceeding our target! As well as this, millions more animals are benefitting from Brooke international policy work to improve global animal health and welfare. From coal mine donkeys in Pakistan, to gharry (taxi) horses in Ethiopia, Brooke is reaching animals all over the world and making a long term difference.
We continue to adapt in an age of great uncertainty
When the world shut down in spring 2020 and local lockdowns stopped Brooke’s teams from visiting communities, we quickly learnt to adapt and innovate.
Rather than put projects on hold, such as the training and mentoring of paravets, we used technology to continue giving support. Through collaboration with governments around the world, we were also able to achieve ‘essential worker’ status for vets and animal health providers in many countries so that animals would not suffer. Throughout the pandemic, our teams have also worked to ensure that communities receive food and essential supplies when their livelihoods have been impacted by restrictions. Almost two years in to the pandemic, Brooke’s determination to step up for working animals and communities remains unwavering.
Equipping the next generation – we launched a farriery school!
In February 2021, Brooke West Africa welcomed the first ever cohort of students to its new farriery school.
A first outside of Europe and North America, young people in Senegal can now train for a new accredited certification in farriery, ensuring better hoof care for working animals and new skilled jobs for future generations.
Young people like Moussa, who joined the training this year with no prior experience. He said: “I have many dreams and hopes for this training because I would like to do this job alongside Brooke until I retire. I want to help them in their mission by taking good care of horses.”
Lobbying world leaders on the importance of animal health
Did you know that more than 75% of all new human infectious diseases come from animals? We’ve seen this most recently with Covid-19 but other diseases transmitted from animals to humans include rabies, Ebola, SARS, and avian influenza - all of which have had a devastating impact on people. In 2021, Brooke, alongside nine partners, officially launched the Action for Animal Health coalition during the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) General Assembly, with a direct call on governments and international agencies to invest in animal health via increased access to veterinary medicines and vaccines, stronger disease surveillance and adequate training for veterinary professionals around the world.
None of this would be possible without the amazing support our supporters! We are now embarking on our new three year Global Strategy, which will see us going even further in our mission to relieve the immediate suffering of working animals today and create a life worth living for future generations.
Have you seen Brooke Patron Alastair Stewart's round-up of the year?