Radio Miraya
2770: Working Together: Improving Equine Welfare and Healthcare Systems, Livelihoods and Resilience of Equine Dependent Communities
(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to another edition of Working Together on Radio Miraya. This is a weekly program that explores the works of UN agencies, international and non-governmental organizations, including the humanitarian actors in South Sudan and how they collaborate with the local people to provide services to their communities. The program helps us to share issues that are affecting communities and discuss solution to those issues. Don't forget to subscribe to our Facebook page at @3rediumira/at Facebook/rediumira and you can also follow us on Twitter, @3rediumira. My name is Regina Garland. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Welcome once again and today in today's program, we'll focus on a project that is ongoing, improving equine and welfare and unhealth care system, livelihood and resilience of equine dependent community in Juba and the five counties of Northern Bajal Ghazal. Our guests will also explain to us more why a lot need to be done as regards to welfare of the animals, especially donkeys and horses, and also appropriately having a veterinary health care system in the country. And this and much more are going to be explained by our guests here in the studio I'm joined by the veterinary sons, frontiers, Swiss and he's the country director, Dr. Kevin Mukeso. And we have a national ministry of livelihood and fisheries director general, our goal, Quai, and we have Jura Rose is the project officer monitoring evaluation accountability and learning officer. They are here with us to take us through this discussion. My guest here, very most welcome in the studio. - Thank you. - Thank you. - Yes, thank you so much. I think I can start with Dr. Kevin about the background of this organization, the veterinarians, sons, frontiers, Swiss. When was it formed and in brief? - Yeah, thank you Regina. My name is Kevin Mukeso and I work for VSF Swiss. We are an international organization, which was founded in 1988 and our headquarters is in Ban, Switzerland. So we are a non-profit making organization and we provide the monetary and assistance to those most in need. So our programming here in South Sudan, we started it in 1995. And usually we have been supporting the wellbeing of vulnerable populations by either improving their health, but also the productivity of their livestock within an intact environment, which is aimed at enhancing either sustainable livestock-based livelihoods by also supporting animal health, but also animal welfare and productivity. But also we also focus on promoting peoples and environmental health. And usually what we say, the VSF, we are usually a network of 13 other entities, which are based on the country of origin. And we are a member of VSF International. In the country we also have VSF Germany and VSF North America or VSF Canada. And usually what we say currently is that we are currently operating in a number of locations. One is in Juba County, but we're also operating in other Margazal states. We're also operating in United States. We're also operating in drawing administrative area and people administrative area. And our actions and strategy are in tandem in what we call implementation of some of the key policy frameworks, which are relevant to the humanitarian and development work in South Sudan, particularly working towards achievement of the sustainable development goals, but also supporting and contributing towards national frameworks of the South Sudan National Development Strategy. The South Sudan Comprehensive Agriculture Master Plan and the South Sudan National Agriculture in the life of extension policy. - Yeah, in the explanation you talk about the welfare of animals. What do we mean here? - Welfare of animals basically means us taking care and ensuring animal rights are mainstreamed. If we are, say, working in the livestock sector, we work with people whose livelihoods incomes are dependent on livestock. So in as much as we try to reap some of the benefits, including animal source foods, but also the other people who particularly work with working animals. And these are donkeys, horses and occasionally mules. It means that if you are utilizing these animals in different capacities, different activities, then that means you have to ensure that their rights are insured, which my colleague will also highlight on some of the key animal rights as we proceed. Thank you. - Thank you so much, and as we look at this project, why is it very important and how does the community as well benefit from it? You can come, Ross. - Thank you. Thank you very much, Regina. You know, when we talk about equides, donkeys, horses, mules, many of us out there already wondering of all things, why would we have a project of such a nature? But the truth is, this project is very important to the communities, especially communities that own donkeys or use donkeys to support their livelihoods. You know, these are communities that depend on these donkeys to help them in terms of agriculture, to help them in terms of transportation or movement from one place to another. To help them fetch water, it can be for commercial purposes or for their own domestic use. You know some of the locations access to water is a big constraint, so it is only through the help of these donkeys that they can be able to be helped. This project is important because through this project, we are raising awareness, we are sharing information, we are disseminating knowledge because we have a gap of information gap, we have knowledge or like maybe attitude at some point, that is why we see donkeys being mistreated at some point or being overworked or, you know, like not taking care of them or not treating them when they are sick and so many other factors. So through this project, we are raising awareness to everyone, especially the donkey owners and use us so that they can be able to take care of these donkeys properly in order for them to reap more, in order for them to improve their livelihoods much more farther. We are also doing, through this project, we'll also be able to conduct trainings to own us, equine owners and use us in order for them to be able to handle and use the donkeys correctly, you know? A number of times. Are they used wrongly? Yes. Many times they are used wrongly, they are being overworked, they are being punished, you know, just because you want to make profit, especially the ones using them for business can tell. Those ones who have been in wild can tell how the donkeys are suffering. You see them having wounds all over their bodies. I had of a story that one donkey here in Juba at some point, it drowned the owner, it jumped into the river. It was wild. No, it was not wild, but it got fed up. You are like getting fed up. Yes, it ended up when it reached Gumba, it ended up jumping into the river together with the owner. So that is just because of mistreatment and it's because they cannot talk, but they have feelings as well. My colleague later on will talk about the five domains or the five rights of the donkeys. So through this project, we also do strengthen the health care systems, you know, access to health services has been a big challenge, especially in most of the remote locations. The distance alone is too far and the drugs alone are unavailable. So through this project, we are supported with, although it's not adequate, but we have some drugs that we provide to the owners or the users of these donkeys. So generally, all these things that we do, the trainings, awareness, and we are also here later on going to talk about the policies. You know, we are advocating for the rights of these donkeys. We need policies that can help protect these donkeys, because at the end of the day, we are doing all these for the donkeys, but it is improving the livelihoods of the equine-owning communities or people. OK, let me get to our goal. The Director-General at the National Ministry of Lively Livestock and Fisheries, we want to look at, many times you hear that maybe somebody is arrested because is it a smuggling hide or skin of animal or for donkeys. So we wanted to know why people become concerned that those things should not be traded. Thank you, Regina. And through you, thanks to Larry Mariah for hosting us. And now, trading with any kind of thing to hide and skin or live animals is not a crime. But trading needs you to follow some regulations and rules. You know, if you want to trade taking animals or taking a skin, you have to take things like animal health certificate. You come to the government, you will be issued a certificate. You come to the government, you will be given a permit to trade on something. And if the rules are there to-- but when you're trading with something, then you will be told. So before you get arrested at the border, you will be told right away in Dubai here so that you don't even move with that one. So why do you think the region become very concerned about these, you know, the donkey hides and skin? The region, okay, thank you for that. The region becomes very concerned because this one is finishing of the donkey's population or urban-acquaint population in Africa. Because there is a need in some countries for a hide, for the skin of the donkey's skin. And therefore, when they come looking for those skin, they don't follow. They don't follow right channels to do that. You will be surprised by getting carcasses in the street. The skin has already been removed and taken away. And when you find the carcasses, the meat lying at the-- so it became something and if you go back to donkey's, let's say, as an animal in nature, these are animals that don't reproduce themselves quickly. So if you have something that's some reason of killing them in a regular manner, you will finish them off. Because by the time, they will not be reproducing themselves and you will, of course, deprive the community that you will keep them for benefits. Okay, you explained the importance of donkey and maybe other animals. And you want to see the role of the ministry in terms of ensuring donkeys or other animals. And they are welfare and not theft or slotted. The ministry has no other than ensuring laws are implemented. Laws are made, developed, and imposed. You know, we need to do the what we call legal framework so that they are there and followed by the communities. And when they do that, of course, people trading on that will be criminalized and you can be fined, you can be imprisoned for not having followed the law. So our role is to make laws available and to create awareness, as just mentioned by heroes, and awareness creation so that communities know what they're doing. So apart from us preserving all the welfare of the donkeys, like here in South Sudan, your tourist sector is not very firm with this kind of animals that could have been helping the country in tourism. What is the attack? I told them it goes higher than that. Of course, two of them will consider care about the declines and meaning horses, donkeys, mules. And of course, two of them will be looking at that. But two of them will also be looking at wildlife in a greater picture. And then, of course, that is also our role, and our role with NGOs, international NGOs in South Sudan, protecting animal population that you have. Because as a nation, South Sudan, by the end, you will be measured with the manner you manage your animals. The way you keep your animals, the way you treat them, the way you look at them, that's what you are. Because also when they think they need to be cared for? They need to be cared for. And of course, heroes talk about five freedoms of animals. And number one is freedom from hunger and cells, and freedom from discomfort, and freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal social behavior. Because I will not allow you to keep an animal, maybe female alone without a male. You know, that is a freedom. You give them that leisure issue to socialize. And of course, those are freedom from fear and distress. So these are things, freedom, given to animals, that are supposed to be ahead too, and protected. Yeah, maybe Kevin can come in about how they work with the partner to improve this kind that you know these animals are cared for, having their welfare of health and other benefits. Yes, thank you. So what you have been doing is that through this project, we have been able to work in hand, while hand in hand with the government at both the national level, but also at the local level. So the project is mainly targeting Juba in Nodambargazal at the moment. We also had a bit of some time in where we worked a bit in West Ambargazal, particularly wow, which also has a high population of donkeys and horses. And what we do is that we work also with the local private sector actors, we include the community and more health workers. These are the ones where usually like on the local level on the ground, and the ones who support in providing animal health services at the local level. So through the project, we are able to procure veterinary drugs, supplies, and equipment, but we are also able to build capacities of these service providers in collaboration with the government to ensure that now people have access to animal health services, and particularly the donkeys and horses. As they work, live and work in a humane way, that they are able to work comfortably and without ensuring that their welfare is compromised in any way. So we also ask them to ensure if say a donkey is carrying a load, let them not overload them, let them also put a bit of some harnessing equipment, so that at this, as they carry their load, they are as comfortable as possible, and they are also able to get some rest at the end of the day. Thank you. Thank you so much, and listen, we are here working together, program, exploring the work of NGOs, and this is an international NGO that is looking at the welfare of animals. And especially, we are talking here about the welfare of donkey, because people can use donkey as you all know in the communities. They carry water, they dig, they do many things, so they are saying they also have to have that care, and they should have rest, and you should use it appropriately. And thereafter, you'll be able to call us on our numbers, on 092 968 62 97 and 091 206 2950. The other number is 091 206 2079, and you can be left to ask your question. And if you have any question that you'd want to ask, then you'll be able to ask it, but for all this time, let's say, go for this musical break, and we'll come back. Stay tuned. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] We need to get some improvement I want you natural, like jambala Baby don't make that skinny up You want me natural, like jambala Me no bitch, my skinny up Like a fickin' puree, queen like jambala Me love ya, black tough like that Like a fickin' puree, queen like jambala You want me black just like this Me no onion, queen, yeah Me don't add more, ingredients I'm your super natural girl You can't beat your girl, choco later, huh? Then people envy my color When you press me, you make me feel proud When I pass by you don't wanna die When you press me, you make me feel more They ask for me, like a local But I'm your super natural girl They call me, like a local girl But I'm your local food, jambala Turn in your natural, like jambala Baby don't make that skinny up You want me natural, like jambala Me no bitch, my skinny up Like a fickin' puree, queen like jambala Me love ya, black tough like jambala Welcome back listener, you are tuned to working together With me, Regina Gora, and in the studio We are talking about the welfare of our donkeys And other animals that we are using them To do our works in the communities And we see how these organizations Making sure that they have a project For the welfare of these donkeys And of course in the studio I have the veterinarians, sons, frontiers, swiss They are here with us And I have the country director Kevin Micasso And we have the Minister of Life, Stock and Fisheries Director General, Agua Kwei And we have Jiro Ross, project officer Monitoring evaluation, accountability and landing officer They are here taking us through this project That they are running and in collaboration With the ministry of animal resources and fisheries So, you can still get to my guest if there is no one Or lying so that he can look at About what are some of the primary issues That need to be tackled for the welfare of the animals And then we shall pick our colours You can take it up Thank you, thank you so much Regina Before we go to that I would like us to talk more about the DHT The donkey hide and skin shred For those who do not know This term came about because of the high demand For something called a jiao It is a skeleton that is produced from boiling donkey skins And it is used in traditional Chinese medicines And beauty products So, because of the high demand of that They say about 4.8 million skins a year are needed To be able to make these products So, because of the high demand of this Most of the donkeys in China are finished So, now the next target is where Africa So, because of this The population, the donkey population is being put at risk And not only putting their lives of the donkeys at risk But also the livelihoods of millions of people Are being threatened Because they depend on these donkeys So, Africa remains the primary source For both legally and illegal source To donkey skins to China And, you know, you've heard of I don't know if you've heard about the bans on DHT By some of the African countries This year, in February 2024 The African Union came out boldly To ban the trade on donkey skin and hides And this is after tireless efforts Of lobbying, especially from our donor That is Brook East Africa That is based in Nairobi So, this is, you know Is a good step for many of the African countries already Although Kenya, taking the lead in the ban It started in 2020 It banned the donkey slaughter in Kenya And Tanzania was also done the same So, this is going to raise a little bit of questions To the rest of the remaining countries Like, are they willing to lose their lives To go their donkeys to this trade Thank you so much And, before we take corn last, I would want also A goal to come up about the issues of donkeys We are talking about donkeys But here, let us talk of Cuba How many do we have around donkeys? Are we talking, because we knew Donkeys were mostly in cartoon Not exactly Donkeys are also in South Sudan and in Cuba Although we are not sure of the number of the population But there is a good size of population There is someone online, let me try and pick Hello Rejemira Yes, good afternoon Good afternoon, how are you? I'm fine Welcome, your name and where you are calling from? Your brother, your brother, and Jacob, you are home I am calling in to go area I am calling in to go area I am calling in to go area Oh, Andrea, Andrea, I need to cut you The words were coming, cutting, it's okay Andrea, welcome Yes, I do welcome the guests in the studio Yes, I do welcome the guests in the studio I will have the question to them Yes Of course, I have a last week There is several cuddles There is several cuddles which have been died in upper analysis What are they playing? Mmm What are they playing? They will kill the dive of our animals from a non-dupe bike or by doing because they turn on nationwide Okay Okay Okay All right Thank you Thank you, you are welcome Thank you Quickly, you can answer it Okay They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it They will answer it Okay Let them answer you Yes Yes Yes Although it's a question I would say Yeah They think of animals even though I would say the traffic we are handling Yeah You can answer it But thank you, Andrea, for the question I'm hearing from you because in up and out we we are divided into ten states and three administrative areas These are the government entities that are supposed to be reporting what is taking place where are you by themselves? So what we are talking about the dying of many animals when a mannequatos has not been reported to us in the ministry here So I'm hearing it from you for the first time Secondly, reporting reporting this like this like what you are saying should be accompanied with something else What are you suspecting? What do you think is killing animals? What type of disease is in the area so that we get prepared and maybe help with whatever we have in order to address And then the last thing nationwide kind of vaccination Yeah, they said so I think our people communities have been talking this but you don't know maybe you don't know this nationwide vaccination comes with many resources If you don't have resources as a government how do you do a nationwide vaccination? So we have to look for many facts and then we will do that. Yeah, money and maybe like the case that he has said then you people can research your needs Okay, let me pick another color Hello, thank you Welcome Welcome Yeah, this is James James, can you speak a little up so we can hear you in Okay Welcome I would like to welcome the guest Yes Then I will talk about discussion because this topic is not well known So for us we don't see any We see donkeys like they are useless but they can do more than car even we can't support the population Yes, my question to the guest is this because in the hospital we know the most people who keep these donkeys are local populations Yes So we are going to have at the town next we don't kiss because we may see them that get and they also may because what is the animal that is living in the town you may know this we cannot match with we think that that is in the town So what are the bias? Because these are local people they don't know how to keep what if they don't see they will not stick it to the itineraries because they will be the itineraries may be far and they will have knowledge So what will they play that in the village of those people for them to know the way that they will be tricked and they will also kiss in a different way This is my question Okay, James, thank you so much Thank you You can, Kevin, you can come Thank you, James, for your question and he comes from a wheel I presume so we can also link him up with our staff who are also based in a wheel but also we also work with the state ministry of animal resources fish areas and tourism who are also based in a wheel town so if he has a donkey or a horse once he reports to the ministry office says he can be able to facilitate it but in regards to his question is that what we do is that we have donkeys which are usually kept within urban centers There are also donkeys which are kept also within the rural centers so for those kept in urban centers they are mainly used for either transport or maybe water, goods, or any other general merchandise but also those in rural areas they are actually used for plowing So what we've been doing through the project is one we train local animal health service providers who are then able now to provide animal health services because some of the inputs that we provide them they are able now to use them to provide animal health services to let me say the secretly donkeys or those which may be having wounds but also we also advise people on donkeys and roses on areas around now they're supposed to be basic animal husbandry including also ensuring that their welfare is mainstreamed and they take good care of these animals Thank you I'm going to have something to add is to disagree with Jim is that the donkeys are not seen as useless No he was he started like that but yes they are doing a lot of walking and after not useless and they are doing a lot of work and of course you yourself you are not seeing them as useless that's why you are talking very personally about them so donkeys are very useful to all of us they were created with human humankind and very very very good animals to us which would take care of them and of course nobody will go to you if you don't come to people you will see they can give you any help to us so be a subspace is there in a will and if you in case you have you have an issue with maybe taking care of your donkeys then you can contact them there is also a government a state government exactly he was saying he needed a device and how to take care of such animals let's go to them and talk to them thank you alright thank you so much Elora de Mira Yes Welcome Good afternoon How are you? Yes I'm just a good question you are okay good question yes so my question is going to to our guys in the city because last week we had many cattle they die in in the end of the night and even now the cattle are still dying and even now the donkeys we use them more than the cows and then we don't see the if we don't see the problem of the donkeys because if you see your donkeys is maybe somehow you cannot see them how can you take the major to have that person you cannot that person will use the donka or the one who will send that donka can you ask that question again? yes I say last week we had the cattle they die in in this eye of our mouth someone else asked that then you go to the question yes yes my question is like this now we use the donkeys in our local state so if the donka is a picture the person who will who will send the donka is our guest or is our owner of the donka thank you what's your name again? that quote yes thank you very much I think for the reports because for the issue of the death of the cows later on I think Kevin and and Digi will advise because we are hearing this already from two people most importantly they'll have to link with we have also our colleagues in the field in unity and I'm sure also we have the government in unity so yes we will be able to coordinate and respond accordingly otherwise yes we are a livestock based organization not only focusing on the donkeys or the dogs but initially actually we are a livestock based organization so we will see how we can be able to respond to that otherwise in regards to the issue of who is responsible to treat the donkey if it is sick it is the owner who is supposed to treat the donkey when it is sick just like when you are sick you treat yourself yes but there are scenarios where the communities cannot afford the drugs this is where we come in and then we do the restocking we work in close partnership with the government veterinary pharmacists once in a while we do restock them and equip the pharmacy and then the equine owners can come to the nearby pharmacy to access services like lower you know like at least for double price otherwise he should know that it is his responsibility because the donkey is helping him thank you so much in one minute just a final remark one minute one minute each our time is running yes in addition to that we also work very closely with people who are locally based between Munuki we have animal health service providers including even visiting a local government office they are able to get people who are trained there could be animal health workers there could be stockpiles veterinarians, animal health auxiliaries and these are competent people who are based at the local level and they can be able to get these services thank you thank you so much a goal if you could do also give you a final remark oh yes we there are services always available there being provided but if you of course if you don't look for services you might not be known there are services so but please get in contact with with the B.S. subspace get into contact with better services are available or near you wherever you are and you will be thank you so much do you have one word to say? yeah so my advice to the equine owners is for them to take proper care of their donkeys and to report when they have their missing donkeys and let us protect our donkeys let us say no to DHT yes that is thank you so much thank you so much and listen I have been together with me Regina Golle and my guest here in the studio of course we are focusing on a project that is ongoing improving equity equine welfare and health care system livestock and also resilience of equine to departments, communities in Juba and other five counties in northern Pajal-Gazal and other areas where they are working and stay tuned who have been going or done donkeys and other animals that we are using or helping us so in exactly three tuned to our new summary both in Arabic and English and there after you tuned to drive time I am Regina Golle on working together program stay tuned . . 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