Following an invitation from IGAD (Regional Economic Community of seven countries at the Horn of Africa) and the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture we are in Ethiopia. Our aim is the production of an education package for the IGAD region. The material will raise awareness for the welfare of ‚farm’ animals and teach a respectful treatment of them.
Ethiopia is the country in Africa with the highest number of ‘farm’ animals. We are here to learn as much as possible about how they spend their lives. Therefore, we cover nearly 5.000 km on country lanes, gravel roads and across highlands. At animal markets, feedlots, farms and slaughterhouses we learn how the animals are kept and treated. We gather further background information about Ethiopian’s farming industry in meetings with officials of the ministry, local NGOs, official veterinaries and farmers. The treatment of animals at the markets and the ways they are transported indicates the necessity of raising awareness for the needs of sheep, goats, chicken, cattle and camels and to encourage more empathy for them.
The ministry of agriculture and IGAD support the education project in its entirety. Their dedication is vital to achieve better protection of ‘farm’ animals in East Africa.
