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The countries
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Ethiopia
| The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is one of Africa's poorest countries. It has a population of 74.2 million. The economy revolves around agriculture.
After China, Ethiopia has the second highest density of working equine animals in the world, with a working animal population of over 1 million horses and 3 million donkeys. Over 85% of Ethiopia’s inhabitants live in rural areas and local estimates suggest that up to 98% own at least one donkey.
Donkeys are a lifeline for the rural populations of Ethiopia. In a country often struck by drought and food shortages, donkeys tolerate drought better than cattle, and are sometimes used to work the land cultivated by subsistence farmers, as well as transporting the harvested goods to market. | | |  |
| Despite the widespread use of working equines, many owners do not have the basic animal husbandry skills to be able to look after their animals properly. Thousands of working horses and donkeys suffer each day from malnutrition, heat stress, chronic lameness, pressure sores and exhaustion. There are also diseases such as trypanosomiaisis, transmitted by the tsetse fly, which causes agonising pain and can be fatal if not treated.
Brooke's work in Ethiopia in 2006 was the first step towards reducing equine suffering throughout the whole of East Africa. The Brooke has successfully registered as an international charity, the Brooke Integrated Equine Welfare Partnership, to enable us to work in Ethiopia. We have started work in three different locations of Gondor, Harraghae and the Southern Region with a headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Thanks to the Brooke's work in Ethiopia 38,500 animals were reached last year.
To see a gallery of photos of animals working in Ethiopia click here |
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