Enlisiting African Youth In Animal Welfare Battle

Leading African writers have donated stories, free of charge, to a children’s book which aims to transform perceptions of wild animals, pets and beasts of burden in Africa. The ‘Unlikely Burden and other stories‘ will be launched on 27th September 2006 and WSPA hopes it will become a school text book in several African countries. The Unlikely Burden – Educating in Animal Welfare The title story in ‘The Unlikely Burden and other stories‘ highlights the symbiotic relationship between man and animal when the village bully is forced to accept help from a donkey he has mistreated. WSPA’s educational campaigning in Africa includes lobbying ministries of education to include Humane Education in school curricula and teacher training courses. “We are also urging education authorities to put The Unlikely Burden on their approved reading lists and selling it at a discounted rate in Africa.” “Education and awareness are more effective in protecting animals than legislation and enforcement alone,” says Nigel Wilson, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) Africa Director. “The concept of animal sentience is an alien one in many parts of the world and there’s little understanding that working animals are more productive and sustainable if they’re treated well,” explains Nigel. “WSPA has published this book for children because education is the long term route to improving animal welfare. There’s also lots of evidence that children who have learned to treat animals humanely grow up more empathetic towards other people.”* WSPA has distributed 2,000 copies of the book for free, which is suitable for children aged 9-14, to 800 schools across Africa thanks to a grant from World Animal Network. Further Information and Ordering People in the United Kingdom can order copies from Cana Publishing: www.canapublishinguk.com 5% of proceeds go to WSPA’s education programme in Africa. *The National Association for Humane and Environmental Education’s bibliography of research relevant to humane education [and animal welfare] is available on request.

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