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To be bitten by a
poisonous snake is everyone’s worst nightmare. In Africa
this happens to people quite regularly especially to those
in the rural communities. The primary objective of the James
Ashe Antivenom Trust (JAAT) is to reduce the number of
deaths and maiming caused by those many snake snakebites.
How it all began …
When James Ashe and his
wife Sanda first came to set up
Bio-Ken Snake Farm in
Watamu many years ago, it was a risky business. They were in
the middle of nowhere and dealing with many different and
highly venomous snakes. Once they were settled they arranged
to get hold of some antivenom, which they kept in their
fridge. It was a costly, but necessary, addition to their
first aid kit.
Meanwhile, local people
had practically given up taking snakebite victims to
hospital as there was no treatment and the mortality rate
was very high. The people turned to their traditional
witchdoctors for help. But soon the word spread that there
was a snake farm in Watamu and bite victims started turning
up on the Ashe’s doorstep desperate for help.
No one was ever turned
away. If it was a non-venomous bite the victim was reassured
and sent on his way. If it was a venomous bite, the victim,
the antivenom and the Ashe’s would calmly get into the
vehicle and get to the local clinic where Dr. Erulu would be
waiting. Depending on many factors, such as the length of
time since the bite, most survived.
The majority of
snakebites in this area occur when people are out in the
fields tending their crops or climbing trees to pick the
fruit. These people are poor and there is no way they would
be able to afford expensive medications such as antivenom.
This became a problem as James and Sanda were treating
people at their expense. James even settled an account once
by accepting a basket of mangoes as payment for saving the
child of a poor farmer!
One evening, James was
discussing this with some friends over a beer at Ocean
Sports (the local pub). It was decided that a ‘Harambee’
(fund raising) event be held among the local residents to
help raise a kitty from which to buy the antivenom. This
became unofficially named the ‘Watamu Antivenom Fund’
and was run from an ice cream container! From then on there
were triathlons, local fair stalls and many other methods by
which the fund got money.
In order to get the
antivenom to Watamu the fund relied upon good willed
travelers coming from South Africa. Before long though, the
price of antivenom went up and, as word spread, more bites
were coming in from further a field. At this point James
Ashe and Sanda were joined by their long time friend and
snake enthusiast Royjan Taylor, who suggested that a
registered trust be formed in order to attract more
substantial donations, set up a bank account and also to
remain transparent for the revenue authorities. Royjan and
Sanda were then joined by Melinda Rees and Shafiq Ebrahimjee
of Watamu and Professor David Warrel of Oxford University as
Trustees. It was agreed by the five Trustees in mid-2004
that it should be named after the man who started it all,
THE JAMES ASHE ANTIVENOM TRUST or JAAT.
Since the formation of
the trust (JAAT), it has gained huge support and
recognition. It now holds a healthy stock of antivenom in a
brand new fridge labeled ‘ANTIVENOM ONLY’
Many lives and limbs
have been saved, not only by the antivenom, but by the
spreading of information on the correct first aid treatment
and prevention of snakes. Sanda has written and distributed
her ‘Simple Steps’ leaflet (which is available in many
languages) all over Kenya. People are encouraged to take the
leaflet, photocopy it and distribute it liberally -
Click here for an online copy. There is
also a more detailed manual for snakebite treatment which is
given to doctors providing they do the course with either
Sanda or Royjan. It is thanks to JAAT that these manuals can
be printed and these lessons given.
Please visit or contact
us about donations or fund raising at:
THE JAMES ASHE
ANTIVENOM TRUST – (JAAT )
H.Q. & A.V. AT
BIO-KEN SNAKE FARM, WATAMU
P.O. BOX 3, WATAMU,
KENYA. (P/Code 80202)
TEL : 00 254 42 32303
OR MOB : 00 254 733 290324
EMAIL:
bio-ken@africaonline.co.ke
ALL DONATIONS GO TO
THE DIRECT PURCHASE OF ANTIVENOM OR TO THE EDUCATION OF
DOCTORS AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL ON THE CORRECT TREATMENT AND
MANAGEMENT OF SNAKEBITE.
For further information on snakes,
snakebite, and Bio-Ken please visit the
Bio-Ken website
or view the
James Ashe Antivenom Blog. |
