By Mary Mwendwa

Lamu County, Kenya: In the narrow streets of Lamu, a historic Island town that is known for its tourist attractions, lies one of the oldest Kenyan donkey clinics.

Donkeys get medical care for free here. The sanctuary was started over three decades ago by Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen when she visited Lamu for the first time.

Without vehicles operating on the Island of Lamu, donkeys are used as a source form of transport and ferrying goods. This has made donkeys one of the most important animals for people who live in Lamu. They are a source of livelihood.

Mary Mwendwa spend a day at the Donkey sanctuary clinic and documented some of the daily activities at the clinic.

A busy street of Lamu overlooking the seafront where donkeys are brought to help ferry goods and other luggage/ Mary Mwendwa.

Luggage that has been offloaded from motorboats by passengers waiting to be ferried using donkeys. Those who don’t own donkeys pay for the service.

 

The Donkey Sanctuary seafront clinic in Lamu/ Mary Mwendwa.

Donkeys are used as a beast of burden and at times this compromises their health leading to injuries. Having a donkey in Lamu County is like owning a bank account, residents believe so.

 

Donkey at the clinic. most of them have been by owners suffering from different illnesses and injuries. The clinic takes care of them and treats them for free/ Mary Mwendwa.

 

A veterinary doctor- Mohammed Athman together with a worker attending to a sock donkey at the donkey clinic in Lamu/ Mary Mwendwa.
Medicine at the donkey clinic in Lamu/ Mary Mwendwa.

 

A sick donkey at the donkey clinic/ Mary Mwendwa.

 

Mohammed Athman a veterinary doctor at the donkey clinic preparing to treat sick donkeys/Mary Mwendwa.

 

A donkey with a fracture at the clinic, donkeys stay at the clinic until they recover fully/ Mary Mwendwa.

 

A young boy with a donkey at the clinic, the family donkey is waiting to be checked by the veterinary doctor/ Mary Mwendwa.

 

Mohammed Athman a veterinary doctor at the donkey sanctuary clinic talking about how donkeys that are sick are brought to the clinic. Some of the donkeys come with physical injuries because of overload, bruises due to beating, and colic problems. They also vaccinate them against rabies and tetanus/Mary Mwendwa.

 

Sick donkeys at the clinic/ Mary Mwendwa.

 

A donkey owner ferrying charcoal using a donkey in Lamu sea front/ Mary Mwendwa.

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