This campaign has now closed
To have a lasting impact on animal welfare standards in Mali we must reach more children. In order to expand our work we would like school children to visit on a regular basis; therefore, we need to build a classroom and employ a teacher to manage the programme.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
SPANA believes that education is fundamental to improving animal welfare in the long term. If animal treatment is to improve wholesale – as a cultural shift – then an entire generation has to view animals in a new light, and with greater knowledge about good animal husbandry. This belief is backed up by the experience of our vets who, all too frequently, encounter sickness and injury that could easily be avoided with the right advice and teaching.
Solution
Our education programme teaches that animals can feel pain and have similar needs to humans; they need food, water, shelter and medical treatment. By highlighting our shared needs, children can understand animals better and are able to empathise with them. This is the first step in eradicating harmful practices and developing patterns of responsible behaviour.