Did you know that across the world, thousands of donkeys are hard at work in brick kilns? Brick kiln donkeys have one of the toughest jobs on Earth. But what work do they do? And what is their working environment like? Find out more about how SPANA is helping donkeys in the brick kilns.
What is the Brick Kiln Industry?
The brick kiln industry supplies bricks to the construction sector mainly within Asia. According to the World Bank, in 2020 there were approximately 144,000 brick kilns operating in India. The country is the second-largest brick producer in the world after China, with an estimated annual production of 250 billion bricks. It employs 15 million workers, the majority of who are seasonal, low-paid workers. Other countries where brick kilns are in operation include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and Pakistan.
How Are Bricks Made?
Traditional Indian brick kilns operate during the dry season (typically December to March). The process of making bricks can take up to two weeks. By hand, clay is collected, mixed with water to form the right consistency, then formed into brick moulds. The moulded clay is removed from the moulds and left to dry in the sun. After a few days, the dry bricks are stacked, dried again, and then transported to kilns where they are covered with sand and baked in temperatures between 900–1,200°C. The finished bricks are cooled and ultimately shipped to construction companies.
What Work Do Brick Kiln Donkeys Do?
Working in brick kilns is one of the world’s most brutal workplaces – both animals and humans endure harsh working conditions.
Brick kiln donkeys transport handmade bricks to kilns or waiting vehicles. Their work is incredibly tough. To avoid the hottest times of the day, donkeys will often start work in the early hours of the morning or late afternoon. They will be fitted with special carry pouches made of coarse cloth, which are filled with stack loads of bricks. The donkeys carry the bricks to and from the kilns.
In such unforgiving conditions, injuries and illnesses are inevitable. Many brick kiln donkeys suffer from open, weeping wounds caused by ill-fitting, overloaded harnesses, which cut into their flesh and leave them vulnerable to disease. Others experience crippling lameness as their joints buckle under the pressure of carrying backbreaking loads every day. Other common conditions include overloading, exhaustion, malnutrition, dehydration, and diseases due to lack of vaccinations or health care.
How SPANA is helping donkeys in the brick kilns
Because traditional brick kilns are major pollutants, they are typically located outside towns and villages where there is no access to veterinary care. That’s why, by working with our local partner, the DSWA (Donkey Sanctuary Welfare Association), a mobile veterinary clinic regularly visits brick kiln sites in India to ensure that the hardworking donkeys receive the treatment and care they so desperately need.
Our team checks the welfare of the donkeys and provides them with professional veterinary care and support, including vaccinations. Owners are also offered help and advice on good animal welfare, including how to recognise the signs and symptoms of illnesses and how to make and use safe equipment, such as soft padding and correctly fitting harnesses to avoid harness wounds.
Brick Kiln Camels
It’s not just donkeys who work in the brick kiln industry; camels are also hard at work. Brick kiln camels and their owners are relied on to move heavy cartloads of bricks. In northern India, camels will pull carts loaded with 800–900 bricks at a time, with each cart weighing up to two tonnes.
The most common injuries these camels face are foot pad wounds, saddle sores and nose peg wounds. Other common ailments include lameness, colic, diarrhoea, skin conditions and respiratory problems.
Our partner, Help in Suffering, runs a mobile veterinary clinic, that visits eight to ten brick kilns every week, treating around 4,500 brick kiln camels each year.
How You Can Help
With the help of our supporters, SPANA is working to transform the lives of brick kiln donkeys and camels in India. Your support enables mobile veterinary clinics to make regular visits to brick kilns in India so that the hardworking donkeys and camels can access professional veterinary care, and their owners can receive essential training in animal welfare. Find out more here.