Transforming Brick Kiln Animal Welfare; Holistic approach for sustainable change
Transforming Brick Kiln Animal Welfare; Holistic approach for sustainable change
During initial years of operation, interventions were more directed towards sensitizing the end users i.e. equine owners and handlers on animal health and welfare and provide free direct veterinary health care. However, with the changing scenario of working equid welfare there has been a gradual shift in paradigm regarding our intervention strategy over years. Based on the observation and experience of initial years, various stakeholders and networks were identified as fundamental to achieve sustainable change and a novel modified approach was formulated that incorporates diversified multilevel stakeholders into the program i.e. Equine owners/handlers, BK owners, BK association, Local media, LSPs (Private and Governmental), Governmental authority, Policy makers, etc. The interventions were focused on enhancing equine owner’s capacity to undertake basic management practice, capacity building of the LSPs and their mobilization, sensitizing the BK owners, governmental and local level authority and policy makers on animal welfare issues and animal welfare legislations and on top of that to educate individual stakeholders on their personal and collective roles and responsibilities pertaining animal welfare.
Regular learning and sharing meeting, trainings, issue-based sessions, field observation and visits, etc. were used as tools to educate equine owners. Similarly, skill enhancement trainings were conducted for the LSPs and technical resources (start-up kit) was provided to them. The trained LSPs were linked with equine owners and mobilized in their respective sites. Periodic refresher trainings were conducted to identify the technical and clinical gap and address accordingly. Workshops were conducted to sensitize BK owners, Governmental officials, local authorities and policy makers on animal welfare legislations and jurisdictions provisioned by the Nepal government. Whereas, the accumulated facts and stats (annual data, contribution of equid sector to national economy, exclusion of equids from planning and policy, legislations, etc.) were used as vehicle to open discussion with the policy makers.
Since the new approach was exercised, there has been a significant improvement in the physical infrastructures and working environment in the brick kilns; The equine owners adopt better husbandry practices including housing, nutrition, improved working environment, humane handling of animals, appropriate work load, prompt health care and thus overall improvement in animal welfare aided partly from the technical and financial support of BK owner. Similarly, regarding Veterinary service provision the module has resulted in proportionate decrease in the direct intervention by the AHTCS vet techs and gradual increment in involvement of LSPs without undermining the quality and accessibility of veterinary health service thus suggesting a sustainable change. Equids are included in the government policy; equine specific medicine stock and vaccines are maintained at Livestock Service Section, Periodic mass vaccination and health camps are conducted, seasonal fodder seeds are distributed to equine owners, etc. Besides these, animal welfare legislations, Animal Welfare Directives 2073, has also been implemented in the BKs that particularly advocates the five freedoms and human handling of the animals.
The outcomes of the approach have been quiet promising so far and the collaborative efforts of the multilevel stakeholders has enabled to address every facets of the animal welfare thoroughly and effectively.
