Mission Rabies Malawi - NGO Photography with Dogs Trust Worldwide

In May 2015 I was reunited with the team at Mission Rabies and flew out to Blantyre in Malawi to document the start a new chapter in the charity’s fight against rabies.

It was a high profile launch, with senior members of the Dogs Trust present on the ground to witness and take part alongside World Health Organisation, the Worldwide Veterinary Service and local partner Blantyre SPCA.

The initial three-week campaign of the three-year project was a great success with over 350,000 dogs vaccinated and an education campaign that reached over 40,000 children.

My commission brief included documenting the work being done on the ground – from the vaccination teams working in local communities, to the training and education being delivered on the streets and in schools. The most dramatic and inspiring moment was the hosting of a huge mass-education event attended by local schools and dignitaries featuring classroom sessions, speeches from Mission Rabies CEO Luke Gamble and Dogs Trust CEO Adrian Burder, live music and on-stage role play.

I’d been working alongside the excellent film crew from Red Earth Studios all week and after a fantastic and uplifting few days we headed deep into the Malawian countryside. We were accompanied by a local consultant pediatrician to visit a family that had lost their son to rabies. It was a sobering reminder of the ability of rabies to kill, and the tragic consequences for the families and communities affected.

MORE INFORMATION ON MISSION RABIES

You can find out more by heading to the Mission Rabies Malawi website, the Dogs Trust World Wide and Worldwide Veterinary Service.

You can also see a fantastic video documentary by Red Earth Studios on the work being done in India and Malawi.

ABOUT RICHARD MURGATROYD

Richard Murgatroyd Photography is a London-based documentary photographer with a background in social and development matters. You can find more information about NGO Photography and work in the charity and not-for-profit sector here.

Mission Rabies Malawi NGO Photography with the Dogs Trust Worldwide by London documentary photographer Richard Murgatroyd