A British-based organisation called Namibia Donkey Welfare says in the past donkeys played an important role in shaping Namibian society, notably as a mode of transport.

But as most Namibians now use cars for transport, donkeys are losing their role in society and most of them now only contribute to environmental degradation or pose a threat to road users.

According to the Chairman of the Namibia Donkey Welfare, Peter Collingwood, there are hundreds of thousands of stray donkeys all over Namibia, which don't only eat valuable pasture, but are also blamed for causing car accidents, particularly in the North.

"It seems many people don't need donkeys anymore, so they are happy to let them go astray ... our aim is to revive the multi-functional capability of this animal so that it remains beneficial to the owner," said Collingwood.

"Donkeys are multi-purpose, more ecological, more economic to use because the cost of maintaining vehicles and fuel prices are ever on the rise."

He told The Namibian that the initial phase of the project would involve repairing and providing donkey carts to various rural communities throughout the country to transport their children to school, as well as to collect water and firewood.

"A large number of kids in rural areas walk long distances to and from school every day, while others walk over 10 kilometres to fetch water and firewood ... this should not be allowed to continue while there are so many donkeys that can be made more useful," Collingwood stressed.

Collingwood, who was in Namibia to conduct a quick feasibility study of the envisaged project, revealed that there were many donors in the United Kingdom keen on funding the initiative, which could be extended to neighbouring countries should it prove a success here.

According to him, school authorities and community leaders in the targeted areas have already been consulted to solicit their participation in the project.

He said that the intention is not to impose the plan on people.

"We want to do everything according to the specific needs of the particular community because we have found out that different communities in Namibia use donkeys for different purposes."

Namibia Donkey Welfare also intends to engage the Ministry of Environment and the Road Safety Council so that together they could come up with methods to make donkeys more environmentally friendly and less of a hazard on the roads.

The project is expected to get off the ground in the next two to three months, once enough funding has been raised in the UK.

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Fatal kicking case to Regional Court
•  MVA sues paralysed accident victim
•  Koevoet bases to be renovated
•  Campsites bring hope to Puros
•  'Koos Kombuis' in Walvis cell
•  Ulenga leaves Parliament to prepare CoD for elections
•  Chief /Gaseb does not acknowledge appointment by King Justus //Garoeb
•  German museum to return skulls
•  Big Brother Africa 3: E-mails - From You To Us
•  Big Brother Africa 3: Is Malawi going to clean up?
•  Court cracks down on 'struggle children'
•  Nearly a third of Namibians poor
•  Pupils suspended over porn DVD
•  NA approves US grant
•  Russian couple murder sent to High Court
•  Rain prospects for the northeast good
•  Housing Minister meets shack dwellers
•  Flood of applause for flood support
•  New deputy chair for chiefs' council
•  Special week for Special Olympians
•  Misa Namibia Media Awards 2008
•  Bret goes bust
•  Fruit fly causes loss of millions in exports
•  Knives out for Pohamba