A donkey can mean the difference between a modest livelihood and destitution for many people in poor, rural communitiesTo sell water and make his living, Steve relied completely on his donkeys. They pulled him in his cart loaded with its 20 jerry cans to all his customers. When Steve's donkeys were stolen for their skins, he could no longer work.
Its origins are thousands of miles from that field in Kenya. In China, a traditional medicinal remedy that is made with the gelatin in donkey skin is in high demand. It is called Ejiao. In Africa, where about two-thirds of the world's 53 million donkeys live, there is a patchwork of regulations. Export of donkey skins is legal in some countries and illegal in others. But high demand and high prices for skins fuel the theft of donkeys, and the Donkey Sanctuary says it has discovered animals being moved across international borders to reach locations where the trade is legal.
The proposal for an Africa-wide, indefinite ban is on the agenda at the African Union Summit , where all state leaders meet, on 17 and 18 February.Reflecting on a possible Africa-wide ban, Steve says he hopes it will help protect the animals, "or the next generation will have no donkeys".Ejiao producers used to use skins from donkeys sourced in China.
And it is big business. According to China-Africa relations scholar Prof Lauren Johnston, from the University of Sydney, the Ejiao market in China increased in value from about $3.2bn in 2013 to about $7.8bn in 2020. Faith Burden, who is head vet at the Donkey Sanctuary, says that the animals are "absolutely intrinsic" to rural life in many parts of the world. These are strong, adaptable animals. "A donkey will be able to go for perhaps 24 hours without drinking and can rehydrate very quickly without any problems."
"It was clever product placement," explains Prof Johnston. "The women in the show consumed Ejiao every day to stay beautiful and healthy - for their skin and their fertility. It became this product of elite femininity. Ironically, that's now destroying many African women's lives."A Chinese TV drama 'Empresses in the Palace' featured the donkey hide remedy Ejiao