we are A SMALL GRASSROOTS NPO WITH A PRO-ACTIVE APPROACH TO RURAL ANIMAL WELFARE
Our Mission
Our mission is to support and empower pet owners in their efforts to care for their animals at home. By providing resources, education, and outreach services, we aim to ensure that every pet can thrive in a loving, familiar environment. We believe in “rescuing” animals where they feel safest: in their own homes.
TAWI (Transkei Animal Welfare Initiative) provides primary animal health care services (primarily for companion animals)
to the disadvantaged communities around Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape, where free-roaming domestic animals suffer from over-breading, malnutrition, disease, parasites, infection, neglect and cruelty. There are no veterinary services for 100s
of Kilometers and TAWI is the only organisation providing this much needed service in the whole region.Through community engagement, education and working with people, our involvement addresses needs expressed by the communities with the approach of gaining understanding, acceptance and co-operation.
We are not a shelter, we work in an outreach capacity with the philosophy for “rescuing” animals in their own homes.We see that access to basic veterinary services and humane education with children creates empathy, through the fostering of respect for life, creating a culture of caring and empathy for all beings. This is a vital ingredient in the building of communities.
What We Do
Primary Animal Health Care
We work with a home based PAHC method. This way we get to meet every animal in their home so that we can monitor, educate & make sure that we are addressing everything from the water bowl to a vaccination.
Sterilizations
Sterilizations are vital in our communities because once you improve the health and welfare of the dog population it will grow …. And that is something unaffordable to everyone!
About Us
Founded in 2008, the Transkei Animal Welfare Initiative (TAWI), a Section 18A tax exempt PBO, is a grassroots, animal outreach nonprofit, dedicated to eliminating the suffering of companion animals in rural impoverished communities in the former Transkei region of South Africa.
We realised that the environment we are working in was going to need a slightly different approach to conventional animal welfare. Through community engagement, education and working with people, our involvement addresses needs expressed by the communities with the approach of gaining understanding, acceptance and co-operation.
We are not a shelter; we work in an outreach capacity with the philosophy of ‘rescuing’ animals in their own homes.”
With this approach and the dedication of Mawethu Isaac Kunyu and Zolile Tyson Makhaykude, our two local team members who grew up and live in Port st Johns, we have managed to gain the respect and trust of the communities we work with. This opened many doors to education and sustainable change for companion animals living in rural Eastern Cape.
Tawi is a small team of people with like-minded values of keeping the organisation autonomous, transparent, not for profit, self-sustaining and ethical body striving toward the betterment of indigent human and animal kind.
Donate
STANDARD BANK
ACCOUNT HOLDER:Transkei Animal Welfare Initiative | NPO : 096-685
ACCOUNT TYPE: Current
ACCOUNT NUMBER : 06 104 7562
BRANCH : Mthatha West
BRANCH CODE: 2621
SWIFT CODE: SBZAZAJJ
FOR INTERNATIONAL DONATIONS USE:
FNB PAYPAL SERVICES
EMAIL: tawi.info@gmail.com
Contact Us
Primary Animal Health Care
TAWI works with a home based PAHC method. This way we get to meet every animal in their home so that we can monitor, educate and make sure that we are addressing everything from the water bowl to a vaccination. Children in the household are the guardians of the animals living with them and it is usually their responsibility to care for them. This way we work from the bottom up creating meaningful, lasting change within the home for domestic companions.
All animals are given free de wormer and rabies vaccinations and tick and flea treatments, minor ailments like skin conditions etc are treated. More serious issues are transported to the state vet for treatment.
Isaac and Tyson work tirelessly everyday driving to each and every house at great expense to Tawi. Children and Gogos (Granny’s) line the streets when Tawi is coming waiting patiently for their share of Isaac and Tysons knowledge and resources because they have seen their neighbours dogs go from thin and mangy to healthy happy family members. They want their dogs to be the same!
Sterilizations
Sterilizations are vital in our communities because once you improve the health and welfare of the dog population it will grow …. And that is something unaffordable to everyone!
Rural communities do not have fenced properties to keep their dogs at home. They are free roaming social animals that love to take a stroll to the neighbours for a snack or to the local soccer field to watch their caretaker play a game. Along the way they meet and greet and unfortunately any unspayed females will get pregnant and be forced to endure litter after litter. This creates a lot of suffering for both the mother and the puppies.
Tawi has a dedicated sterilization team of nine people – two Veterinarians, one animal health technician, two animal handlers, two recovery personnel and Isaac and Tyson who co ordinate weekend steri drives to help stop the indiscriminate breeding. We are fortunate to have Dr David Watson from Port Edward Vet Services and Dr Lee Pachonick from Midmar Vet services who are willing to travel distances of 600 to 800 km to reach out and help sterilize.
Although the vets donate their time and the community donates accommodation, these outreach programmes are very expensive. Anaesthesia, drugs, antibiotics, vaccines, bandages, antiseptics, ointments, stitches, disposable gloves, needles, syringes, disinfectant, nutritional supplements etc are provided for hundreds of dogs at a time. The average cost of sterilising a dog is R500 and we always have 50 – 70 dogs and cats at each sterilization clinic as well as those outside waiting for treatments. There is never ENOUGH funding for sterilizations and an endless list of dogs and cats waiting for sterilization.
sterilization cost – R 500
contact us
- Chairman
- Dr Dave Watson & Julia Watson
- tawi.info@gmail.com
- Vice Chairman
- Miss Barbara Egan
- 082 853 7556
- tawi.info@gmail.com
- Treasurer
- Mrs Linda Livesey
- 082 770 5579
- tawi.info@gmail.com
- Secretary
- Mrs Gail Taylor
- 083 703 8213
- tawi.info@gmail.com
- Fundraiser
- Joeanne Francis
- 083 306 2876
- tawi.info@gmail.com
contacts - port st johns
- Tyson Makhayakude
- 078 175 5917
- Isaac Kunya
- 073 757 4858