Oumou’s vet visit
Oumou the donkey supports her owner, Karim, making it possible for him to earn a small income. During the dry season, Oumou transports firewood and carries out agricultural work in the rural village of Samanko, in southern Mali. Without Oumou, Karim would be unable to provide for his multi-generation family.
Recently, Oumou had developed a small sore on her nose from her old, worn harness. Karim was also concerned that his donkey was having trouble eating. Their village is in a rural area and, without the SPANA mobile clinic, which makes regular visits to Samanko, Karim would have no means of accessing essential treatment for Oumou.
The next time SPANA’s mobile clinic visited Samanko, Karim brought Oumou along to receive the help she needed. At the mobile clinic – which had set up in the centre of the village – SPANA’s veterinary team examined Oumou. They discovered that the donkey was finding it difficult to eat because her teeth were overgrown and needed filing.
The vets first cleaned the sore on Oumou’s nose with disinfectant, then showed Karim how to keep it clean until the sore had healed. They also provided Karim with a new noseband to prevent her harness from rubbing again. The vets then set to work rasping Oumou’s teeth so that they were even, and all the sharp points were smoothed down.
Karim was extremely thankful for SPANA’s help. He said: ‘My donkey helps me so much. She is so important to me. I have known SPANA for 20 years and they always help my animals. I can’t even explain how important SPANA is to me.’
Without SPANA’s mobile clinics, many working animals would have no access to professional veterinary care.