Starting January 21, 2011, three fourth-year AVC students, led by faculty member Dr. John VanLeeuwen, will spend three weeks in Kenya, working with veterinarians, animal health technicians and smallholder dairy farmers to improve the health and productivity of dairy cattle. The students are Murray Gillies and Erika Kubik, both from New Brunswick, and Erin Ramsay from PEI.

In partnership with Farmers Helping Farmers, a PEI-based non-governmental organization, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, they will deliver veterinary care and medicines, and education to improve the health and productivity of dairy cattle on these subsistence farms. The AVC team will be joined by three Kenyan veterinary students.

Many of the smallholder dairy farmers that they will work with--primarily women--have only one cow; the milk from this cow is often their only source of cash income. Having a healthy, productive cow and reliable milk income has a far-reaching effect on their families, such as being able to send their children to school, and buy food and medicine. The women report that their self-respect improves, and they get more respect from their families, particularly their husbands, by being able to earn money.

“Clearly, good agricultural practices and veterinary care have translated into more sustainable happier livelihoods,” says Dr. Vanleeuwan.

The students will benefit from their visit to Kenya by learning about the challenges of practicing veterinary medicine in a developing country, and experiencing the country’s culture. The students pay part of the cost for the rotation, but the largest share is covered by the Canadian International Development Agency. Veterinarians in Atlantic Canada have also donated funds to assist the students with their portion of the costs.

This is the seventh year that AVC has offered this course in International Dairy Health Management, and Dr. Vanleeuwan and the students are looking forward to another productive and life-changing journey.

AVC gratefully acknowledges the following for their support of the January 2010 International Dairy Health Management course: Downsview Vet Hospital, Oromocto Veterinary Hospital, Eastern Passage Village Vet Clinic, Cornwall Vet Clinic, Gillis Vet Clinic, M21G Holdings, Berwick Animal Hospital, Kennedy Animal Hospital, and Martha Sweeting. They are also very appreciative of the donated medicine provided by pharmaceutical companies (Boehringer, Merial, Pfizer, Schering-Plough-Intervet, Vetoquinol, and Wyeth) for this project.