Donkeys for transportation

Country:
Kenya
Why to choose this solution?
Donkeys are used for both commercial and domestic purposes, transporting goods and people in rural, urban, and peri-urban areas. They contribute significantly to both the national economy and household livelihood support. The reason why donkeys are so important for many communities in Kenya is that they are adapted and resilient in the different environments ranging from wet, cold and mountainous conditions to dry, hot and semi-arid areas with harsh climatic conditions. They are inexpensive means of transport to wide range of commodities including water, agricultural produce, garbage,firewwod, household items etc.
Savings per day or production:
Donkeys save the women from using their little finances that would have been used in sourcing for alternative transport such as bicycle, motorcycle, or vehicle. The savings are used to cater for other household requirements, mainly food.
Cost in money and in own time to construct:
The average price of an adult donkey costs about Kenya Shillings 13,000 (130 USD)
Lifetime:
A healthy donkey has a lifespan of about 27-40 years
Maintenance needed:
Donkeys should be fed well and once in a while have checked by a veterinary officer. They should be housed in shelters that protect them from harsh weather and vaccinated against rabies annually and dewormed every three months.
Resources needed in use:
Donkeys can either work as draught animals where they pull a cart or a plough, or alternatively a load is placed directly on their backs.
Problems and limits:
There is an increase in global demand for donkey meat and skin resulting to massive slaughtering and theft of these animals from most donkey owning communities in Kenya.The implications of this commercial donkey slaughter in Kenya where 5.1 per cent (301,977 donkeys) of the total population was wiped out by the slaughterhouses alone during the period 2016-2018. Lack of proper policies on donkeys may also diminish their population in Kenya.
Where and how can you get it or make it?
Donkeys are available across Kenya with larger number of its population drawn from high agricultural potential counties like Kiambu, Kirinyaga and Nyandarua. Donkeys are purchased in various markets.
Skills needed to produce, install. maintenance, use:
Skills needed to maintain and use donkeys are simple; The animals should be fed well and once in a while checked by a vet. donkeys should be housed in shelters that protect them from harsh weather.They should be vaccinated against rabies annually and dewormed every three months.There is no actual skills in using donkeys; The work simply entails loading, directing donkeys as well as unloading cargo from the cart or donkeys back by the user.
How to use it:
https://youtu.be/HTx8SwNul_c (copyright (2018) KTN News Kenya)
How to maintain it:
Not relevant
Climate effect (if any):
The use of donkeys for transport avoids the burning of fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel from other means of transport like vehicles which release carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.
Where it is used and how many users are there?
Donkeys are used in nearly all the 47 counties in Kenya.There are about 1.8 Million donkeys used in Kenya according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2019.
Why is it successful?
Donkeys are a cheaper means of transport compared to vehicle pick-ups and have capacity to ferry a considerable quantity of goods. They enhance accessibility to hard-to-reach areas;They access with ease the earth roads during rainy seasons, foot paths and marshy areas which cannot not be accessed using other means of transport such as cars and motorbikes.
If you can make it, a short description, typical problems, materials needed.:
Not relevant
How to make it (if possible):
Not relevant
How is it delivered and by whom?
Donkeys are sold and purchased at various markets, after which the owners take them home by themselves.
Successful financial model
What policies and strategies helped the success?
The Kenyan government imposed a ban on the slaughter of donkeys in 2020 to control the unprecedented and unsustainable demand for Donkey skins in kenya,but was later lifted by the High Court in 2021. In Kenya, the donkey was gazetted as a food animal in the year 1999 (GoK, 1999) with the aim of curbing backyard slaughter, improving food safety and stimulating donkey production in response to market availability. An increase in global demand for donkey meat and skin led to establishment and licensing of four donkey slaughterhouses.The export donkey slaughterhouses were established, licensed and operationalized within the period 2016 and 2018.
More info:
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/opinion/article/2001376330/why-rural-kenyan-communities-rely-on-donkey-for-daily-economic-activities
Sources:
https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/opinion/article/2001376330/why-rural-kenyan-communities-rely-on-donkey-for-daily-economic-activities https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/enterprise/article/2001260297/so-you-want-to-start-a-donkey-transport-business photo 1(cc, the star) 2(cc istock) 3(cc voanews)
Name of the association uploading the case:
SusWatch Kenya
When was the case uploaded? (YYYY-MM-DD):
2022-03-16