It’s a miracle made possible by compassion.

• Donations In Action

Blindlove — led with almost superhuman tenderness by Philippa du Toit — is a sanctuary for the equines nobody else wants: elderly donkeys, injured working horses, frightened mules who have known only force. Wollie, a donkey with 40 years of trauma behind him, used to flinch in terror at a human hand. Now he comes when Philippa calls, waiting for his strawberry jam sandwiches and soft feed. OuBaas, once fragile, is finally gaining strength and may soon safely meet the main donkey herd. Atticus, the old warrior horse, is battling a painful aural haematoma that keeps swelling and may need surgery; the vet bills pile up as Philippa fights to keep him comfortable. Feed alone is a crisis. One specialized feed mix can cost around R7,500 and lasts only a couple of weeks. Hay bales are about R100 each, and as many as four are needed every single day. More than 30 equines depend on this, every day, or they go hungry. Your donations have kept hay arriving, vet visits happening, and pain managed — but it is hand-to-mouth. 

When we say most of our frontline partners are women, this is what we mean. In South Africa alone, Nina fights for feral cats no one sees. Philippa fights for donkeys and horses the world discarded. These women pour everything — their time, their money, their own physical strength — into saving lives that society has already written off. Our broader Women’s Month appeal set a goal of raising $12,000 to keep their animals warm, fed, and medicated through winter. That goal still matters. And with every dollar you’ve sent, we are moving closer.