Having witnessed the change of attitude and behaviour towards dogs in Mpophomeni since the inception of Funda Nenja nearly 16 years ago, we know that the youngsters who take part in our action learning dog training sessions act as effective change makers within the community.
This account from our social worker confirms that belief:
"Recently, we have learned a wonderful story about Funda Nenja's work from a member of the community who has a family member being a dog school participant.
Ntokozo Majola told us that she never thought her love of animals, particularly dogs, would grow as it has in her heart, and she enjoys the company of Bathathe, the family dog, and feels so much for him when he is sick. She then told us that she is from a very rural area in KZN where people have no access to any of this kind of education and when she visits back there, her heart always feels sad. Telling her story, she said dogs are punished very horribly when they've done something wrong, eg when they eat eggs, they get to be fed boiled hot eggs, or they are hung on a tree and beaten.
With the knowledge she has acquired and wishing for change, Ntokozo has visited some schools and teachers in her area telling them about Funda Nenja, and she has spread good news, and most people are interested in learning more. She said she takes pictures of her and dogs and sends them to her family members just to show people can be friends with dogs. Ntokozo is very desperate that the knowledge is spread to her community back home."
Imagine if there were numerous projects similar to Funda Nenja spread across the country, all sharing animal welfare knowledge and supporting their communities. The ripple effect of each bubble of kindness could dramatically change the quality of life for both people and their animals.
Please consider signing up for our forthcoming mentorship program. See our earlier post with the details.