A day in the life of a harness and equipment expert

Donkeys have been at the heart of Amos Supeet’s life and work for as long as he can remember. 

From his first job as a donkey handler at the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA) to his role as Harness and Equipment Lead at The Donkey Sanctuary Kenya, Amos has dedicated his entire career to their welfare.  

His professional experience spans a full spectrum of donkey wellbeing, including rescue operations, inspections, community education and training. After his most recent stint at KSPCA as a Senior Field Inspector, where he focused on outreach and slaughterhouse inspections, Amos then rejoined The Donkey Sanctuary Kenya in June 2024.  

Over time, his work with The Donkey Sanctuary has led him to specialise in harnessing equipment, a major welfare issue for working donkeys in Kenya.

Take a look at Amos using locally sourced materials to create a safe and comfortable harness for local donkeys:  

For Amos, getting face to face with members of the community is what he enjoys most, “a particularly good or special day for me is when I get to interact directly with the community, especially during the harness training sessions”, he explains.

Despite providing around 95% of animal draught power in rural and peri-urban areas, Kenyan donkeys remain undervalued, poorly cared for and often overlooked in livestock development programmes and veterinary services.

These challenges are at the heart of The Donkey Sanctuary’s new country strategy for Kenya, which builds on 35 years of work and aims to transform the lives of donkeys and the communities that depend on them.

In areas like the Lamu archipelago in northern Kenya, where Amos is based, more than 2,000 donkeys are the primary mode of transport and this work is especially critical.

Harnessing change in Lamu

Humane harnessing is at the heart of training sessions in Lamu, where Amos teaches donkey owners and cart makers practical skills to improve welfare. He also works closely with communities to encourage positive donkey-human communication and reduce cruelty.

“Many community members are used to traditional metal or poorly fitting harnesses”, Amos explains. “Encouraging them to adopt humane alternatives requires time, patience and continuous engagement”.

But, it’s also where Amos finds the greatest reward, “Teaching owners how to make a simple, humane head collar, using locally available materials, and then seeing them replace their metallic ones with it is incredibly satisfying. That kind of impact makes my day feel meaningful and special.”

Watch along as Amos teaches a local donkey owner about proper harness use:

Being part of a better future for Kenya’s donkeys

Every training session and every harness replacement is part of something bigger, contributing to a shift in culture where donkeys are valued as partners in Kenya rather than tools.

His work directly feeds into The Donkey Sanctuary’s strategic ambition in Kenya, not only tackling poor equipment and working practices, but also addressing wider issues such as lack of veterinary care and legislation that protects donkeys.

For Amos, this is more than just a job, “it’s about creating lasting change for donkeys and the people who rely on them every single day.”