Rich donkey milk all the rave for Ruiru farmer
When Mary Kemuto’s three-year-old son contracted pneumonia six months ago, she was a worried parent. Pneumonia resulted in shortness of breath that further complicated the condition.
Kemunto, a resident of Wataalam village in Ruiru, Kiambu, visited a number of specialists in search of treatment, but nothing seemed to work. While on the verge of giving up, Kemunto called her mother one evening and after a lengthy discussion, she was advised to give her son donkey milk.
Kemunto was dumbfounded. She had never heard of anyone taking donkey milk. She wondered whether the milk was fit for human consumption and was concerned about its availability in her populous village.
After struggling to search for the rare commodity, a friend linked her to a man who had not only been making a living from using his donkeys to fetch water and carry huge loads at a cost, but had gone further to milk them for a living.
More consumers
It was after three weeks of consistently feeding her son with donkey milk that she saw results— she says her son was healed. He breathed normally and has not gotten another bout of pnuemonia since then.
“That was like a mystery. It was like waking up from a scary dream. My son is well again after fighting pneumonia for a long time,” she says. Since she learned of the secret, donkey milk became a norm in Kemunto’s household. She takes a glass every evening and that has been keeping her more energetic and lively.
Kemunto’s case is not an isolated one. She is among a growing number of consumers who have developed a liking for the milk, which they consume every evening to not only quench their thirst but also nourish their bodies. They have now substituted cow’s milk, considered highly allergenic with hardly respected donkey milk.
Peter Mochama, a farmer, did not know the gold in his hands, considering the animal’s meat has been the subject of debate until he watched a farming programme in a local television a few years ago, which became an eye opener. He realised he could get more from his three donkeys.
The 41-year-old father of three who quit a well paying job at a company in Ruiru five years ago to rear the animals now milks and sells the produce.
The process of milking donkeys, Mochama says, is similar to that of cows. However, his are a pampered lot. He even gives them bread!
“Rearing donkeys is easy. I make sure I feed them and don’t overload them with work. Milking them is the easiest activity of all. My donkeys are gentle because I don’t confront them. In fact, I don’t tie them and they hardly kick. If the donkey has a young one, I release the baby to suckle after I am done milking,” he says.
He adds: “I buy at least two loaves of bread every milking session to sooth the donkey and boost milk productivity. They have never let me down.”
The exceptional farmer claims most of his clients who were hitherto suffering from various ailments such as asthma, arthritis and high blood pressure have healed after joining the donkey-milk-drinking family. Just like cows’ milk, one must boil donkey’s milk to kill germs.
Mochama who also consumes the produce sells the nutritious milk between Sh70 and Sh100 per glass (approximately Sh282 per litre). He has been making between Sh1,000 and Sh1,500 everyday from milk proceeds and other jobs that his donkeys do. As a result, the young farmer has bought a piece of land where he has built a decent home for his family.
His donkeys, however don’t work on Sundays— it is a day of worship. “I don’t regret quitting my job. The money I make from the sale of donkeys milk and other jobs I do cannot correspond with what I used to earn,” he reveals.
He plans to expand the herd. However, he is worried that Kenyan donkey farmers have not embraced the activity fully. He also gets worked up by farmers who beat up the animals and overworks them without rest.
BENEFITS OF DONKEY MILK
Donkey milk has a growing interest due to its composition similar to human milk, with good tolerability and palatability. It has less fat than cow’s milk.
In paediatrics, donkey milk is recommended as a substitute to nourish infants who are not breastfed.
It is rich in lactose and whey proteins, contributing to the intestinal absorption of calcium, essential for bone mineralisation.
As well as being a key ingredient in modern beauty products for its hydrating powers, donkey milk has four times vitamin C as cow’s milk, and contains casein, lactose, vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, D, and E.
It can also help sensitive skin conditions such as eczema, and triggers fewer allergies than cow’s milk.
