About the sanctuary

About the sanctuary

The mission of Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary in the Western Cape, South Africa, is to provide care for abused, neglected and elderly donkeys and to create a culture of respect for all living creatures.

Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary is registered as a not--for-profit organisation (NPO) and a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO)

The establishment of the sanctuary has led to the creation of jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers in a region with massive unemployment.

As the current interim premises are inadequate in the long term, it will be necessary to eventually secure a permanent home for the Donkey Sanctuary. This could be by means of an outright purchase or by rental. One model that will be explored would be for a supporter to purchase a property and to lease it to the Donkey Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary is however more than a place of refuge for abused, abandoned, aged and neglected donkeys. Since 2008 a key focus has been an educational component which has a three-fold approach:

Classroom project - a 60 page pilot phase teacher's pack aimed at Grade 3 learners and available in 2 languages (English & Afrikaans) was distributed to 14 schools in 2009. The pack covers the 3 basic learning areas of literacy, numeracy and life skills and is designed to provide a variety of learning resources for teachers with a focus on donkeys through exercise, drama, poems and stories. We are currently monitoring and evaluating the use of these packs before developing further materials which we wish to make available to schools in the Western Cape in South Africa in 2010.

Field trips to Eseltjiesrus are used to teach the learners about donkeys and their care and to broaden this aspect to the care of animals and social responsibility in general. We have developed materials for these visits.

Outings to Eseltjiesrus for children and adults with special needs which allow direct interaction with the donkeys (e.g. through brushing and touching). These outings provide a therapeutic context for contact with gentle donkeys.

But primarily the Donkey Sanctuary provides an immediate and humane response to the needs of the gentle and patient creatures that are all too often maltreated and made to endure truly horrific circumstances.