amaTrac uluntu (NPO 115-029)
(Formerly The Farm Animal Centre for Education (FACE))
COMMUNITY-BASED SMALL BUSINESS TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT
Entrepreneurial Skills Development
Most owners have not received any basic business or money management training, yet they manage donkey traction small businesses. amaTrac uluntu's training includes basic business and money management, caring for assets (donkeys and equipment), forming a donkey owner support group and making and using the Powerset.
Owners that complete this training gain confidence in their abilities as small business owners, engage positively with their communities regarding transport needs, realise the value of the donkeys as their key assets and thus improve the health and welfare of their donkeys.
Owners are presented with Letters of Attendance when they have completed training and have been monitored. Owners that implement the training, educate communities to use donkey traction and on the humane treatment of donkeys are given the title of Community Donkey Champions.
Making and using the Powerset
Donkey owners all use equipment for their donkeys NOT suited to a donkeys anatomy. The Powerset is a donkey suited traction system, designed by Dr Peta Jones, that allows donkeys to use their strong points for work.
Correct use of the Powerset alleviates the problems for donkeys associated with incorrect harnessing and hitching.
amaTrac uluntu teaches owners the advantages of the Powerset, how to make, fit, adjust and work in Powersets.
The harnesses of the Powerset are made from soft flexible material. We use netlon and recycled plastic bags.
Donkey owners struggled to weave the material to make the straps for the harnesses until Patrick Finnegan of Finnegan Tools (UK) greatly assisted us with designing a simple weaving tool and toggle buttons for joining the strips and donating samples to amaTrac uluntu.
Owners manage easily with the simple weaving tool.
