The Brooke - New vet care project for Ethiopia

Across Ethiopia, millions of families depend entirely on their horse or donkey to earn a living. Yet, sadly, the vast majority lack the skills and knowledge to care for them properly: injuries and illness are a scourge. Local and government vets are not trained in equine care, leaving animal owners nowhere to turn when their hardworking horses or donkeys fall sick or injured.

Brooke's solution

But now, a major new Brooke project is set to transform the lives of Ethiopia’s working animals, by creating a specialist veterinary care system for this desperately poor nation.

The community-based project will give specialist training in the care of donkeys, horses and mules to Ethiopian government vets, and also train a network of community animal health workers who will offer basic first aid to horses and donkeys in their own communities.

Vets and CAHWs will be trained in the handling of donkeys and horses, disease diagnosis and also treatment. Once these new skills are put into practice, thousands of working animals will benefit.

The benefits

Two Ethiopian vets who Brooke have already trained are now using their new expertise to great effect.

For example, Dr Ubachew Udela has passed on his new skills to colleagues at his clinic in southern Ethiopia. Their care of the dozens of donkeys they see weekly has improved - and owners are bringing their animals for treatment.