Here are just some of the ways that we are empowering locals around the world.
Within all of our international programmes, we spend time working with local communities to support them as well as delivering programmes for the street animals.
Our outreach in the local community is an important part of our work in Kabul, Afghanistan. Before we started our mass rabies vaccination programme, the community were incredibly wary of stray dogs. But now we are really starting to see a change in attitudes towards them.
Our Community Engagement and Education Officer reaches out to schools, colleges and community groups to inform them about rabies and dog bite prevention, behaviour around street dogs and animal welfare in general. We have educated nearly 900 people so far this year and most of these were children, with whom we use fun and interactive worksheets!
In Ranchi, India, we fund an Education Officer for HOPE, who visits local communities and schools to educate children and adults on compassion towards animals, rabies prevention and the benefits of neutering. This helps to change their perceptions and improves the lives of both the animals and the humans in their towns and villages. This sponsored education programme has reached over 600,000 people spreading the word for animal welfare and compassion.