A small British charity which helps equines in the Gambia is appealing for emergency funds — after torrential rain caused one of its main buildings to collapse.
Heavy rain in the west African country caused the ‘Donkey Barn’ belonging to The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust to collapse last week.
“It is essential for the well-being of the donkeys,” said Anna Saillet from the trust.
“There are huge numbers of biting insects in The Gambia that carry many deadly diseases; without the protection of an insect-proof barn at night, the donkeys are much more susceptible to disease.
“Many of the donkeys housed in the barn are orphaned foals or in need of long-term specialist care,” she added.
A typical resident of the Donkey Barn is ‘Lucy’, shown in the photo (above), before the building collapsed.
“She was found so weak that she could barely even stand, so it was a long slow process to help her get to even this weight,” said Ms Paillet.
The charity needs to raise £3,500 to replace the Donkey Barn.
“As a small charity, we simply to not have big reserves for disasters like this,” said Ms Paillet.
The Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust was founded in 2002 by Heather Armstrong and her sister, the late Stella Brewer Marsden, to improve the health, welfare and productivity of working equines in The Gambia.
For more information, visit www.gambiahorseanddonkey.org.uk To donate online visit the JustGiving page (www.justgiving.com/DonkeyBarn) or text BARN99 followed by the amount you would like to donate (e.g. BARN99 £10) to 70070.
The postal address for the charity is Brewery Arms Cottage, Stane Street, Ockley, Surrey. RH5 5TH
