Trekking to remote villages to give every animal a shot at health

It’s a tricky journey from Port St Johns to Poenskop, one of the most remote areas on the Wild Coast. The terrain transforms from tarred roads to gravel, then cattle trails to footpaths. Despite the challenging route ahead, Zolile Makhayakude sets out. He’s following a greater purpose. “People in the Transkei don’t know how to care for dogs,” Makhayakude says. “It’s my job to change that.”

Makhayakude is a member of the Transkei Animal Welfare Initiative, an NGO dedicated to caring for domestic creatures. “Healthcare services for animals in rural communities are limited,” he explains. For many villages, the nearest vet is over 100 kilometres away. So Makhayakude travels to them to provide medication and perform sterilisations.

With 16 villages, the NGO has assisted close to 20 000 animals since its inception in 2009. A pet owner himself, Makhayakude believes that dogs must be treated as part of the family. “If you want to have 10, you must make sure that you’re going to cook for all of them,” he says. His commitment extends far beyond providing food. “I will never stop helping animals,” Makhayakude says. He’s dedicated to delivering hope.