Meru Animal Welfare Organization (MAWO)

About us

Meru Animal Welfare Organization (MAWO), founded in 2009, is a nonprofit animal-welfare organization working in the Meru region of Tanzania. MAWU works to protect animals from cruelty by promoting, improving, and developing matters concerning the welfare and understanding of animals in Tanzania.
Within our culture and society, we fight for these five freedoms of animals:
• Freedom from hunger and thirst
• Freedom from discomfort
• Freedom from pain, injury and disease
• Freedom from fear and distress
• Freedom to express normal behavior

Our Mission is to protect all animals from torture, abuse, cruelty, diseases, and killing.

Our Vision is for animals to be respected as living creatures who experience pain, fear, and suffering.

Our Aim is to promote, improve, and develop any matter concerning the protection of animals and understanding of animals among the people of Tanzania without gaining any profit.

Projects
• Education: Our education initiatives include:Giving presentations at primary and secondary schools & supporting MAWO student clubs, providing young people leadership opportunities; Working in villages and market places with community leaders to train on proper and humane harnessing for donkeys; Training Community Animal Health Workers to lead their communities in proper animal first-aid, harnessing, and treatment of animal; Providing animal owners with informative literature at each dog/donkey mobile clinic
• Donkey Welfare: MAWO, in partnership with Donkey Sanctuary UK, developed a Hands-On Manual for donkey treatment. This has guided our main initiatives for donkey welfare: Donkey mobile clinics which provide free vaccinations, hoof trimming, eye care, and advice for donkey owners; Distribution of Donkey Welfare Manuals to rural communities; Demonstrations and workshops for community leaders and donkey owners on proper and humane donkey harnessing built from sustainable materials, thus preventing donkeys from the painful cuts used by poor harnessing; The building of donkey shelters to protect the from harm or theft for the illegal donkey meat/skin trade.
• Dog Welfare: Dog mobile clinics which provide free rabies vaccinations, deworming medication, iodine wound spray, and educational literature for pet owners; Spay and neuter campaign at dog clinics with the goal to reduce the number of puppies born across the Tanzania thereby preventing animal suffering; "Dog Dip" flea baths open each weekend at several veterinarian clinics where dog owners can bring their pets for a bath in dog-friendly chemicals which kills fleas and ticks
• College trainings: MAWO and WTS/Vets United began a new collaborative project in order to develop a curriculum for colleges educating veterinarians. In the first stage, lecturers were trained in animal welfare topics at 6 pilot colleges in Tanzania.
• Conferences: MAWO has sent representatives to the first Pan-African Animal Welfare Conference, Donkey Sanctuary trainings, Humane Society International Expos in the United States, SPANA conference in Morocco, and to key meetings with Tanzanian government officials to discuss animal welfare issues.
• Radio Program: In order to promote animal awareness to the greater public, MAWO uses radio to make educational announcements. This radio program provides an understanding of the values of animal welfare particularly in donkeys, their health needs, harnessing information, and behavior training. The radio broadcasts have spread information on donkey welfare in both Swahili and Maa language to ensure large outreach to Simanjiro district and the areas nearby.

Johnson Lyimo is the President and Founder of Meru Animal Welfare Organization (MAWO).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.