Despite serious rain in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Mpophomeni’s kids weren’t deterred from getting their animals to Funda Nenja for dog school or veterinary help.
Mpophomeni, South Africa (16 April 2025) — When people go above and beyond for their animals, a community only becomes kinder. Despite the heavy rains and consequential water-logged environments that the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has felt recently, the Mpophomeni kids were undeterred in getting their animals to dog school or to veterinary care at local non-profit, Funda Nenja, along with other community members.
Because most of these young dog owners make the trek to Funda Nenja on foot, dealing with the water-impacted surroundings is no summer stroll. To observe children expressing this level of commitment to their pets is an unspoken trophy of great compassion.
Water-logged premises aside, the second term of dog school continued as per usual (much to the delight of dogs who love playing in the mud).
With commitment like this in these owners’ toolkits, we sense a bright future for Mpophomeni’s animals.
About Funda Nenja
A mission in which people and paws are both taken into consideration, Funda Nenja’s is a unique approach to animal welfare. Instead of focusing solely on the animals in question, the team have a holistic approach that aims to improve the resources people need to become animal heroes.
A big portion of the Funda Nenja approach focuses on the youth. Funda Nenja’s dog training initiative teaches children how to care for their animals, sharing important information and practical skills all dog owners should know.
Empathy, compassion and patience are taught along with other life skills as part of the project’s extension School Education Programme. As the organisation shares, this kind of knowledge doesn’t just apply to time with an animal. Rather, it ripples across multiple streams of interactions, from families to acquaintances. This is the beauty of lessons like those of compassion—they apply far beyond the classroom.
Recently, a Kids Workshop highlighted the impact of the organisation on both the children and community, which you can read about here.
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