Nandi News - October 2024
Welcome to the October edition
As all charity managers know, continually raising funds and thinking out of the box can be relentless and then someone reminds me of the reason why we do what we do for Nandi… because animals have a way of tiptoeing into our hearts.
They cannot look after themselves, they need our help and Nandi volunteers provide their free time and efforts to provide for their care. This month we have two short stories from the public, appreciating our efforts as well as a focus on the aid we give to sanctuaries and other animal welfare projects.
Finally of course, more on our fund raising efforts - the walks and the famous Nandi fashion show.
Innovation in our animal help
At the beginning of August Sandra Thompson, our new Animal Help Co-ordinator, launched our new online application system providing financial help with emergency vet bills for pet owners, for sterilisation and street dog and cat care. The results were immediate as more pet owners in need could apply online.
Which part of the Algarve does Nandi cover? Please see the map below. We wish it could be more but currently do not have the funds to expand.
Also, I am afraid we cannot fund vaccinations, microchips, worming/flea treatments, dental surgery and treatment for ongoing chronic or terminal conditions. Of course, we would like to... but there are just not the funds available.
In the month of August 2024, Nandi received a total of 116 applications, 89 from owners and 27 from partners/cat colonies.
The estimated vet fee spend for August 2024 is 8684.76€, the Nandi invoiced spend for July 2024 was 11321.15€ (compared to 6598.51€ spent in July 2023).
In the month of September 2024 Nandi received a total of 123 applications, 87 from owners and 36 from partners/cat colonies.
Nandi estimated spend for September 2024 is 9661.44€
Now that we have improved data retrieval we can see that about 50% of funds for sterilisations are allocated to our partner sanctuaries and cat colonies and the other 50% on owned animals. However, treatment costs for owned animals is significantly higher and forms a large portion of our spend.
It´s early days but now we have online systems, we can constantly monitor and review what we authorise and the amounts we authorise to maximise the funds we raise for animal care.
The trouble with making our systems more user friendly and efficient means more people use them, more funds are used….so we are constantly thinking of ways to increase our revenue.
All ideas welcomed!
Write to Helen at president@nandicharity.com
A reason for doing what we do…
This month, we received a donation from a German gentlemen who has set up a regular monthly donation into our account. On our website I ask those who donate to write to me so that I can personally thank them.
He wrote:
A month ago I had to say good bye to my beloved little stray cat who passed away due to serious kidney malfunction. I have had the pleasure of watching this beautiful friendly guy growing up and living with his mother and two siblings in my protected garden in Sagres, along with other strays.
All the cats in my garden are well protected and fed daily by a friend of mine. We have been doing our very best to ensure that all the stray cats that come here frequently or just from time to time to enjoy a good meal, feel that they are very welcome and loved.
I am more than grateful, that people like you and your many supporters do such a great job to the benefit of disadvantaged beings like the stray cats and dogs at the Algarve. My little orange friend will stay in my heart forever and even though I cannot help him anymore, I will be there for the many other strays by supporting you and other organizations protecting animals around the world .
I am happy to know that Nandi Charity supports the animals at the Algarve and helps the world to become a much better place. Thank you so much and all the best for you, the entire team and all the fantastic people supporting your work!
Focus on a partner sanctuary - Bamboo
Pat Banks writes:
Several years ago, Association Bamboo – a sanctuary for donkeys and unwanted dogs in the Western Algarve–asked Nandi to help it build two quarantine pens for incoming dogs who needed to be separated before integrating with the rest of the pack. Thanks to Nandi’s support, the pens were built.
But there was still a lot more work to be done and further monies were needed. The earthen floor was unhygienic as it turned to mud in the rains. The whole area was unsheltered and lacked adequate shade in the summer months. Additionally, the charity needed to build a barrier on the back side of the area as dogs were escaping by climbing onto the roof of the donkey shed! A toilet block was also needed for the Bamboo volunteers. Nandi agreed to help towards the cost.
Today, there is a concrete floor and shelter and the potential escapees are safely penned in. As well as housing quarantined dogs, the pens can now be used for dogs recovering from surgery.
Association Bamboo was established in 2000 by Nan van der Velden who purchased 14 hectares of land and realised her dream of setting up a shelter. Initially she rescued 6 donkeys from the Lagos circus and then the first dogs started to arrive.
Over the years, Bamboo has rehomed over 300 dogs and provides loving care for those left behind. It also is home to 13 rescued donkeys. As well as adoption, dogs and donkeys can be sponsored.
Apart from financial assistance, which is always needed, the charity’s main problem is finding enough volunteers to help them care for the donkeys and dogs and make sure their lives are as happy as possible.
Annemarleen Boer, who runs the charity with her husband Donald, said:
“We especially need people on Monday and Wednesday morning to walk the dogs to swim in our lake. It’s only a few hours a week and it is a lot of fun. Volunteers receive endless love and cuddles from our furry friends. Any help on any day would be greatly appreciated.”
In addition to helping the dogs, last year Nandi also financed a new donkey shed, replacing the old rundown shelter. Annamarleen paid tribute to Nandi and said:
“The antique stone wall of our donkey shed was crumbling apart and the roof was not stable – a danger to our animals and volunteers alike. With the help of Nandi, the whole shed was renewed. A huge difference. Again, with Nandi’s help we were able to build two quarantine pens for our dogs and more recently cover the floors with cement and provide protection from the wind, sun and rain. The area is so much better now”.
Association Bamboo is situated next to Guadeloupe church.
Charity Walks for Nandi - come and join us!
Our September issue showcased the initiative of a couple of our cat feeders in Vila de Bispo - walks through the lovely local countryside with all of the joining fee of 5 euros going to Nandi.
The first one took place on 20th September - a gentle walk of about 2.5 hours from Bensafrim to Baro Sao Joao with plenty of time to chat and have a coffee break. Every 1st and 3rd Friday in the month.
For more information and to book your place on the next walk whats app Maria on +49 17638956448 or website https://sites.google.com/view/charity-walks.
Fabulous fellows in furniture!
In Last month we focussed on our fabulous females in finance. This month we are focussing on our new recruits to the collections and deliveries team - our fabulous fellows in furniture! 2010, a group of friends came together with a shared vision of making a positive impact in their community. They founded The Nandi Charity Shop, an organization dedicated to supporting those in need.
Pedro:
Was born in Brazil and moved to Portugal eight years ago.
He is married and is a chef but is happy to use his spare time to help Nandi raise money for the animals.
His other hobby is photography. Welcome Pedro!
Heshan:
Was born in the south Netherlands.
Prior to moving to Lagos earlier this year, he lived and worked in Kenya for seven years.
He has a partner and a daughter who attends school in Lagos.
He has his own business but wants to use his free time to help animals. Thank you for joining us, Heshan!
Pedro:
Was born in Lagos but grew up in Lisbon.
He is married and has a daughter studying at University in Lisbon.
He was a professional musician, playing the drums but no longer plays as the noise became too much!
He is a keen environmentalist and strongly believes in recycling. Welcome to the Nandi team, Pedro!
How we spent some funds in September:
Pat Banks writes:
"As anyone who has ever tried to catch a feral cat knows, it’s no mean feat. Cat scratches and bites are not just painful, they can lead to health complications, including serious infections. The team from Gatos de Lagos, a charity dedicated to catching, sterilising and releasing feral cats back to where they were found, faces this hazard almost on a daily basis.Thanks to a donation from Nandi, life has become a bit easier for the charity. Nandi has recently helped them buy special crates which enable volunteers to transfer the cats from the cat trap directly into the crate without having to handle the cat again. With a divider in the crate, it also helps them to feed the cat and clean out their litter boxes with the cat safely out of the way."
Mandy Jacinto, the charity’s President and a Nandi volunteer in the clothes shop, explained that before the crates, cats that needed special medical treatment often had to be released before they were fully recovered due to the difficulties in feeding them and cleaning out their cages.
"These crates make such a big difference both to our safety and to the cats. Thank you Nandi”.
Volunteer appreciation
Nandi has many regular customers who come in to the shop every week and many come on specific days to see particular volunteers.
The Friday morning shift were thrilled to receive the wall hanging opposite, made by one of our appreciative customers. Well done, Friday morning team!
The wall hanging has been put up behind the counter in the clothes shop.
Fund raising - the Fashion Show
Pat Banks writes:
There were sun, great clothes and glamorous models, and the audience loved it. Nandi’s fourth Charity Fashion Show was hailed as a great success and raised nearly 2000 euros (and still more to come in) for our animals in need.
The show, held on Sunday 29 September, at the Peking Restaurant in Lagos was supported by 120 of our clients and friends.
The 12 models came from various walks of life and entertained the audience with their runway performances.
They were joined by two adorable dogs and a little girl from the Ukraine who recently settled in Lagos with her parents.
There were wonderful raffle prizes, including a dinner for two donated by O Mexichao Restaurant in Lagos, a pedicure and facial donated by our own Eva Clarke and a voucher for “Adventure Hunt”.
Music for the evening was provided by the wonderful Jas Paul and photographs are courtesy of Lagos professional photographer, Tomas Rodrigues.
The bridal dress donated to Nandi and designed by Bustle and Bow, as featured in Vogue magazine, will be auctioned on line to raise even more money for our animals.
December 2024 Newsletter
Please click the link below to see our latest newsletter.
Or click on the X (top right) to close this pop-up.