Family of nine dependent on their donkey
Abdul Wakil lives with his wife and seven children in Sar Asyab village in the Balkh province of Afghanistan. The livelihood of all nine family members is dependent upon their donkey, five-year-old Khurmaee.
Abdul earns money by bringing bushes down from the mountain to sell at the district market as fuel. This is a gruelling job that can take 20 hours, in which time Khurmaee has little access to water, food or rest. As well as carrying the heavy load back down the mountain, Khurmaee also has to wait for hours at the market whilst carrying the load.
Donkeys across many provinces in Afghanistan are used to collect bushes for fuel in this way. With our partner the Dutch Committee for Afghanistan (DCA) we are working to improve the situation for donkeys like Khurmaee.
Through a combination of community engagement and owner training, we are working with owners in Sar Asyab village to promote best practice on topics such as water, nutrition, husbandry, harnessing and control of external parasites to improve the welfare of their working equines.
After our intervention in the village, Abdul has made a big change to his weekly routine that allows Khurmaee to rest and recuperate after his trip up the mountain.
Abdul now stores what they collect at his home, only going to the market twice a week. He says: “Since I have changed my timetable, my health is better and my donkey is gaining weight.”
Abdul now recognises the importance of resting his donkey, and shares what he has learnt with his friends in other villages and other donkey owners he meets in the mountains.
See also
Brooke works in partnership with the Dutch Committee for Afghanistan (DCA), which trains paravets to improve veterinary services for working horses and donkeys. Dr Naseer Darwish, a facilitator at DCA, explains what it’s like to work to improve the welfare of Afghanistan’s equines.