Every day, working animals across the world help secure children an education that could change their lives. From transporting children to school, to supporting working animal owners so they earn a living to be able to afford their children’s education.
And in many communities where women and girls are responsible for the daily tasks that keep their households and families running, working animals can help with these tasks so girls can attend school instead.
But despite the essential role they play, access to the care they need is often out of reach.
At Working Animals International, we won’t let them be overlooked. By working alongside a network of partners around the world, we’re increasing access to essential veterinary care for working animals in need and supporting owners as they develop the knowledge and skills to look after their animals with confidence and care.
We also educate schoolchildren, the next generation of working animal owners, in working animal welfare to inspire compassion and build a future where working animals and communities thrive together.
We’re creating lasting change for working animals, promoting long-term solutions by campaigning for better welfare standards and helping communities prepare and respond to emergencies so they can provide urgent relief to animals in crisis.
Together, we’re building a world where the animals working to secure children an education moving are kept healthy and moving, too.
Supporting animal owners and children
Together with our local partners, we reach schoolchildren across the world with PAWS (Promoting Animal Welfare and Sustainability) clubs – learning packages that provide engaging educational resources so children can value, respect and protect the welfare of working animals for years to come.
Evins, from Zimbabwe, is 13 years old and a regular attendee of the PAWS club. “I enjoy the PAWS Club sessions because we are taught different things. We are learning that animals should be treated with care, the same way we would other people.”
They work with their donkey to complete chores, such as fetching water and firewood, and says that attending PAWS club has taught them how to care for their animal. “I treat them like people. If you mistreat them, it affects their health and wellbeing. They can end up with wounds that can stop them from working. I am interested in the wellbeing of a donkey because I love donkeys very much.”
Joyce, who is 12 years old, has been attending the PAWS club for two years and enjoys the diversity of the lessons. “We learn about different animals and the different needs animals have. I enjoy participating in the sessions as it helps me understand what animals want in different scenarios.”
She also enjoys putting everything she has learnt to practical use. “Sometimes, when I am asked to act like the animal during dramatisations, I get to understand them better. At home, when I come across different animals, I know what they like and what I am supposed to do. Every time I leave school I head straight for our cattle pen to remove any ticks and groom each cow, or take a walk with my neighbour’s dog – we enjoy chasing each other.”
Another PAWS club member is Ephesian, a 12-year-old from Zimbabwe who wants to be a future donkey owner. Attending PAWS club has given him the knowledge to be able to provide the best care for his donkey when he is older. “PAWS club is fun. I have learnt a lot about donkeys, including making sure they have water to drink and time to rest and play with other donkeys. Failing to do that will affect the donkeys.” Ephesian hopes to have a donkey when he is older to help him complete chores like ploughing, fetching water and carrying firewood.
Patience has been teaching the PAWS club programme to schoolchildren at her school in Zimbabwe since 2019. She has been able to see first-hand the impact this education project has had on the children within her community. “It has taught emotion and compassion – they’ve really changed the way they see animals.”
A typical PAWS club session isn’t just about animals. “Children learn to read, they learn how to take care of the environment and how to respect one another. It touches all corners of our lives.”
“Every lesson plan is unique and they are eager every week to find out what we’re doing. We’ve got games, roleplaying, poster painting and drawing. The children, even the ones that can’t understand English, have a place here in PAWS. They are free to express themselves”.
And the impact spreads beyond the children who attend. They’re able to take what they have learned home to share with their families. “It’s not only for them in the future, but also for the people they have at home. It’s not just touching the children, but also the parents. By the time we go on, we will have a generation where everybody is on the same level about animals.”
Zimbabwe
We have worked with our local partner in Zimbabwe since 2013 to provide veterinary assistance and drive improvements in working animal welfare.
Our teams operate mobile clinics to provide veterinary treatments to working animals across the country. We also engage schoolchildren in animal welfare education clubs and provide community members with information so they can make informed choices to improve the welfare of their animals.
Additionally, we have piloted programmes in disaster risk reduction so that communities can prepare for events outside of their control – such as droughts and floods.
You can find out more about our campaign, and the other essential roles that working animals play around the world, by visiting our Impossible to Overlook page.