English (UK)
English (UK)
Veterinarians Without Borders Netherlands was founded by and for veterinarians. We support African veterinarians and farmers in keeping their animals healthy, enabling them to build a sustainable future for themselves and their families.
In 1987, the Foundation for Veterinary Medicine in Development Cooperation (FVMD) was established by veterinarians and based at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The foundation is largely run by volunteers, especially veterinary students. In 1989, DIO joined the international network Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International (VSF-I).
In the years that followed, DIO expanded its activities and defined several key objectives: answering veterinary questions from the Global South, integrating veterinary medicine into development cooperation, and implementing projects in the Global South. In addition, efforts were made to inform the Dutch public through symposia, lectures, and other activities. From 2011 onwards, FVMD focused on a project in Malawi, training 15 community animal health workers.
Meanwhile, the student board of FVMD developed the ambition to professionalise and raise more funds in the Netherlands in order to support more projects in the Global South. Therefore, in June 2018, with the support of Veterinarians Without Borders Belgium the new foundation Veterinarians Without Borders Netherlands was established. It was agreed that the project in Malawi would continue and be expanded, while students (VWB-Student) would continue organising activities. Since then, multiple projects have been launched in Malawi, mainly focused on expanding the network of community animal health workers and combating rabies. See the project timeline below. To learn more about our current projects, visit Our Projects.
Increasing income and food security for smallholder farmers by improving animal health and veterinary services.
Training community animal health workers, who in turn support and train local farmers to keep their livestock healthy. This increases livestock productivity and income, making farmers and their families more resilient.
Combating the deadly rabies virus by vaccinating dogs and cats and organising awareness campaigns. The goal is a rabies-free Malawi by 2030.
A project focused on empowering women in livestock farming. Around 75% of farmers in Malawi are women, who are responsible for livestock and household income.
Improving animal health and milk production by training more community animal health workers. The project also focuses on reducing milk waste by facilitating training in yoghurt and cheese production, improving both income and nutrition for farmers.