NAWA makes significant strides in providing access to animal welfare services

The Namibian Animal Welfare Association (NAWA) has made significant progress in providing access to veterinary and animal welfare services to remote areas around the country since its inception in 2020.

NAWA is a voluntary animal welfare association registered with the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The association is aimed at promoting community-based animal welfare and educating Namibians on the rights of animals. These cases include badly injured/abused horses, starving puppies, injured dogs, abandoned/missing/stolen animals.

“Animal welfare is a human responsibility that is very important as animals play a vital role in the world around us. FNB Namibia through the FirstRand Foundation supports projects intended to achieve positive environmental changes and its rewarding to partner with an organisation that caters to the medical and welfare needs of our animals and takes these services to communities around Namibia” says FirstRand Foundation CSI Manager Revonia Job.

NAWA Secretary & Education Officer, Janine van Rooyen said “NAWA has grown from strength to strength and is coming into its own in terms of the smooth running of our veterinary practice days. We have established ourselves as committed to serving our rural communities and they are now contacting us for outreach veterinary assistance in places like Nauasfort Dam, Saamstaan, Rooibank. We are excited about the difference we are making. ?On average, NAWA services over 1600 animals per year. All this is made possible by the support from our generous partners, including FNB Namibia which has contributed N$420,000 towards this initiative since its inception.”?

NAWA spent the year expanding their reach across Namibia through outreach days across the Khomas Rural and Central constituencies including the communities of Dordabis and Stinkwater. The four-day Project Donkey Harness trips have taken the team as far as Tsumkwe (Nyae, Nyae region), Walvis (Topnaars), Kamanjab, Fransfontein, Xhorixas, Omaruru and Grootfontein in collaboration with the SPCA Namibia.

“During our outreach days, we ensure that we empower the communities by making use of community members to run our registration, set up waiting rooms and assist with packing away. Project Donkey bridles and harnesses with buckle materials are also all sourced and made by community members” van Rooyen explains.

“The 2021/2022 year-to-date has been their most successful yet with the respective NAWA projects all showing great results in terms of their core ideals; education, primary health care and community upliftment” she concludes.