A DOG-LOVING woman who has dedicated six years to eradicating rabies in Tanzania has launched her biggest venture yet.
Phyllis Hutchison learned of the killer infection’s deadly toll in the East African nation while visiting several years ago.
Around 1500 Tanzanians die from rabies every year, many of whom contract the illness from dogs.
Since 2015, Hutchison’s charity Four Steps to Freedom has been raising cash to beat the problem, with the 71-year-old climbing munros and walking miles to boost donations that have paid for transformative work in more than 20 communities.
Now the East Renfrewshire woman has unveiled a new £300,000 fundraiser – her biggest yet – to build and equip a new base for the charity’s life-saving work.
It’s hoped the Gongo Centre will provide the facilities needed to accelerate the battle against rabies, which the World Health Organisation wants to dramatically reduce by ending dog-to-human transmission by 2030.
The facility is named after a three-legged dog which lost a limb and suffered facial injuries in a machete attack.
Hutchison hopes volunteer vets can begin training local professionals there during 2022.
She says a mass dog vaccination and sterilisation programme, as well as a community awareness drive, is vital to ending human suffering and the dog culls currently used as a control measure. And she’s appealing to Scots for their support.
Hutchison, from Giffnock, said: “I set up this charity in 2015 and since then I’ve dedicated every spare moment to raising funds and awareness to help stop rabies, save lives and end animal cruelty in Tanzania.
“Thanks to our supporters and volunteers we’ve wiped out rabies in 21 communities of Tanzania already, but now we need to act faster to save more lives.”
To donate, visit www.fourstepstofreedom.org.uk
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here