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By Tania Dennison (Programme Advisor for Africa)
31 Mar 2010
Well it’s been a busy couple of weeks since getting back from Ethiopia – catching up on everything in the office, ensuring that project proposals, plans and budgets were submitted on time for approval by the Trustees and getting some time off! And in addition to that making sure all logistical arrangements were in place for the current visit to Senegal, the country where I’m writing this from.
This is my third visit to Senegal where we have just started a pilot project in the south of the country in a town called Vélingara in partnership with AVSF (Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières).
My first visit to Senegal was in summer 2008 when I spent a week ‘scoping out’ the country – talking to individuals and organisations (governments, non governmental organisations, veterinary organisations) in Dakar, the capital, to get as much information as possible on the country context (number of equines, level of welfare need, potential partnership opportunities). After this I spent a few days travelling to towns and cities in Senegal to look at the equines for myself and talk to their owners and people who care for them to find out ‘the real situation’.
On this first visit, I began to realise some of the challenges we would have to overcome if we wanted to work here and
improve the welfare of the horses and donkeys (it’s not common to see mules here) who pull carts or work in the fields. However, it was obvious to me that these challenges needed to be addressed as there is much that can be done to improve these animals lives.
To begin with they work in high temperatures throughout the year with little time for rest (there are many animals who work in the fields during the harvesting season and then at the end are dispatched to the local towns to continue working by pulling carts, before being sent back to the field again the following year), but also many areas of Senegal experience drought and periods of food shortage during the dry season, and many of the roads become impassable during the wet season and it is difficult to get around.
So onto the challenges which I’m still facing on my third visit! Well there’s the language for one thing. There are 19 languages in Senegal, the official ones are Wolof (which I don’t speak, apart from Naga def? (How are you?) and Mangifirik (which sounds to my like ‘manky feet’) and French – which I can speak. So all my communication with AVSF, hotels, car hire, banks, etc is in French – my second language and their 2nd or 3rd language. This does mean that patience and understanding are required on both sides to ensure that what is said is the same as what is understood.
In addition to the language there’s the climate – it is harsh down in Vélingara! During my visit in November 2009 at the end of the rainy season some of the roads were a bit slippery, we had unseasonal rains which limited our ability to get around and there were lots of mosquitos and flies! Not good for the humans due to the high malaria threat, and not good for the horses and donkeys as there a number of diseases which are spread by flies. But it’s the dry season this visit – lots of dust, it’s much hotter (must be 40°C every day, 25-30 at night!) and small bush fires as everything is tinder dry. Not an easy place to work which makes me appreciate, even more, the dedication of the AVSF team.
Oh and did I mention that it takes 8 hours, if all goes well, to get to Vélingara as there’s no easy way to get there due to The Gambia breaking the country in two. There are two options, one is driving around The Gambia (option I took), the other is crossing the River Gambia by ferry – though I’ve always been advised this is a bit hit and miss, as the ferry may have gone by the time you get there or may not even be going that day! The nice thing about taking the long way is that you get to see a lot of Senegal and the horses and donkeys on the streets/in the countryside and compare the difference in their welfare in the different towns. And each trip I am more convinced that the animals in Vélingara and surrounding villages are some of the animals in greatest need in Senegal.
Off to visit one of the villages where we’ll be working tomorrow, so hope to write some more then.
More from Tania about her trip to Senegal next week.
Your comments
Great, what a difference The Brook will make out there, well done you for being the Pioneer. It must be very gruelling and harrowing for you to see first hand the conditions the equines will be in, remember to look after yourself too!
Rosemary Marshall Delighted the Brooke is now going to work in Senegal. I think it is a country of great need. I have actually stepped over the border from Gambia! Is there anything you can do about the wretched animals (usually ancient and in appalling condition) which make the crossing from Senegal to Mauretania in order to work in Nouakchott?
david strath can the horses and donkeys get malaria? and if so can we help to treat them?
Jill what a challenge but so very worthwhile. Well done once again to the Brooke, breaking new frontiers.
anne Well done. Keep up your great work and help all the equines who work so hard with little human understanding. I admire your determination. Take care.
It's good to know that you can expand to more third world countries, keep up the excellent work you guys do.
Frances Freeman You will make a BIG difference. I visited The Gambia recently and was made aware that the horses (and people) in Senegal were in more need than the horses in The Gambia - and the ones in The Gambia left me very concerned. You have a lot of backing from caring people here and I for one admire all The Brooke does in challenging conditions.
Muhammad Munir My special congratulations to Tania Dennison for commencing the great work in Senegal. I am sure her relentless pursuits will make the pilot project a success.
Keep the great work going in Senegal and best wishes for The Brooke and Tania.
Munir
@Rosemary - The approach taken in the countries where we work varies according to the context. The purpose of a pilot in Senegal is to be focused on one particular area as this helps us to be more responsible and accountable, and ensure our resources can be used to maximum benefit for both animals and owners. With the monitoring and evaluation that will accompany a pilot project, we will be able to test or trial an approach that will provide us with information on how to move forward in Senegal. Following an evaluation of this pilot project, it is likely we would look to expand in other areas of Senegal.
@david - Malaria cannot affect horses. There are other blood borne parasites which have a similar life cycle to malaria which do affect horses, for example, trypanosomes (surra) which is a debilitating and fatal blood disease affecting thousands of horses and donkeys in poor communities overseas.
Surra is spread by a tiny stable fly which flourishes wherever horses and donkeys are kept.
If caught early enough, Surra can be treated with drugs. The disease can be prevented by providing a clean living environment for animals, using lime or fly repellent in stables to prevent flies and improving drainage in marshy areas near stables (flies are attracted by the stagnant water)
To reach more owners, Brooke also produces posters, which are put up in places where animal owners meet and which show photographs of the main symptoms of Surra.
S F Zaman Great contribution Tania! Happy to hear that Brooke extended the support to Senegal where there is greatest need. Hope one days todays pilot project will be big country programme.
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