While most of us will be busy prepping for the festive season, Emily Elgar RVN will be preparing for a year with a difference. On December 6th, Emily will journey to the Republic of Gambia, West Africa, to begin a year volunteering with the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust (GHDT).
The organisation was founded in 2002 by the late Stella Marsden OBE and her sister, Heather Armstrong; the GHDT works to “reduce rural poverty in The Gambia through improving the health, welfare and productivity of working animals.”
Over the last few months, the White Lodge-based veterinary nurse has been working hard to raise much-needed funds for the worthy cause.
We caught up with the nomadic vet nurse to chat about her work in veterinary medicine, and of course, her impending exodus from the UK:
“I originally got into veterinary medicine because I felt so passionate about helping animals. I joined White Lodge five years ago, in 2014, to assist with social media, marketing and general office duties, before qualifying as a Veterinary Nurse earlier this year.”
And why make the journey all the way to West Africa?
“My mother sponsored a family in The Gambia for years, and I also spent a month there this year, which was amazing. And it’s not just equine, the GHDT also treat companion animals too.”
With no tradition of horsemanship in The Gambia, as well as poor management, high disease risk and poverty, farmers were investing comparatively large amounts of money for a working animal only for it to die, too often within six months. Not only was this causing further hardship for the farmers, it was also creating a serious animal welfare problem and the veterinary services did not have the infrastructure or finances to be able to help the farmers.
A healthy working animal can increase a farming family’s income by up to 500% and buying an animal is a big investment for a family. If the animal becomes sick or dies, not only does the animal suffer, but its owners suffer too. The Gambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa, unable to provide all the veterinary support farmers require.
To support Emily on her African adventure, visit Go Fund Me, and don’t forget, you can follow Emily’s journey on Instagram @thenomadicvetnurse.