A Lexington, Kentucky-based agency is seeking help providing assistance to horses, donkeys and mules impacted by the eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala.
Brooke USA has set a goal to raise $10,000 for emergency relief and disaster assistance for Healthy Equines For the People (ESAP), its sister organization in Guatemala.
The June 3 eruption of the volcano has severely impacted some parts of the Central American nation. CNN reported 90 people were killed and an entire town was buried in ash and rock.
A team from ESAP was on the ground, working with local authorities to assess the most urgent needs as a result of the volcano, and activate a plan that will be most effective.
Guatemala is home to 228,000 horses, donkeys, and mules – the largest number of equines in any Central American country. It also is also home to 16.3 million people, with more than 9 percent of the population living below the international poverty line. Much of the working equine population in Guatemala is used for transporting agricultural products such as corn, beans and wood and for carrying water from wells to homes.
In developing countries like Guatemala, working animals are the backbone of millions of poor families. The loss of a family’s horse, donkey, or mule makes it very difficult – if not impossible – for a family to support itself.
Last year alone, Brooke USA funded nearly $250,000 for programs to improve the welfare of horses, donkeys, and mules in Guatemala through ESAP.
Brooke USA’s mission is to significantly improve the welfare of working horses, donkeys and mules and the people they serve throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need.
For more information on Brooke USA’s Equine Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, go to www.BrookeUSA.org/disaster-relief, call the Brooke USA office in Lexington, Kentucky at 859-296-0037, or email [email protected].
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