How a Community Partnership Turned Overgrown Grass into Feed Security for Donkeys

Located in Mosorongo, Mwatate Sub-county along the Voi-Taveta Highway in Taita Taveta County, Maktau Boloi Self Help Group is one of the community groups supported by the Donkey Welfare Project. Boloi, the Taita word for "donkey," reflects the important role that donkeys play in supporting household livelihoods. The group comprises 32 members who collectively own 60 donkeys.

To strengthen the group's resilience to seasonal feed shortages, the project trained members on fodder production, harvesting, and conservation. The group also received a manual hay baler and sickles to support hay making, while the project facilitated the construction of a fodder bank where harvested fodder could be safely stored for future use.

During the reporting period, prolonged drought affected the performance of the fodder crops established through the project. Rather than allowing the initiative to fail, the group adapted by applying the skills acquired during the training. Members identified an opportunity after obtaining permission from Mosorongo Primary School to harvest naturally occurring grass that had grown excessively within the school compound. The overgrown grass had become a concern because it could harbour snakes and mosquitoes, posing a risk to school children.

This partnership created a practical solution that benefited both the school and the community. The school grounds were cleared, creating a cleaner and safer environment for learners, while members of Maktau Boloi Self Help Group harvested valuable fodder for their donkeys. Using the manual hay baler provided by the project, members collectively cut and compressed the grass into hay bales before transporting it to the project-supported fodder bank using donkey-drawn carts.

By the end of the quarter, the group had harvested and stored 178 hay bales, significantly improving its preparedness for the dry season. The conserved fodder is expected to reduce feed shortages for the group's 60 donkeys and other livestock while strengthening the community's ability to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. The experience demonstrates how practical training, appropriate equipment, and community initiative can transform a local challenge into a sustainable solution that benefits both people and animals.

"Right now we are sure that we have feed that will be useful during the dry season, and our donkeys and other animals will be taken care of. We thank MAZIDO and Brooke for this intervention," said Chrispine Mwikamba, Chairperson of Maktau Boloi Self Help Group.