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| KSPCA 2005 |
Agesa with one of the many animals he
rescued. |
When Javan Agesa Madome (known to all as Agesa) married his wife, he bought two cows for her to look after at their rural home on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, as is the local custom. The several dogs he also brought home were not customary, but fortunately his wife also loved dogs and was accepting of Agesa's compassion.
Agesa was blessed with an innate understanding of the happiness, sadness and suffering of all animals. Working as an assistant at a private veterinary clinic shared by the Kenya Society for the Protection of Animals, he always expressed his concern over the cruelty cases that he saw. When a position became available with the KSPCA, Agesa decided to put his abilities to work for the broader community.
After a generous grant allowed the KSPCA to open a shelter and start up other programs, Agesa took aim at local slaughterhouses, where livestock were being killed in inhumane ways. With Agesa at the forefront of its campaign, the KSPCA relentlessly fought for the use of captive bolt pistols to slaughter cattle in as humane a fashion as possible.
Eventually, the slaughterhouses relented and the KSPCA became the overseer of all slaughterhouse compliance in Kenya, with Agesa at the helm.
"Agesa trained with the RSPCA and Humane Slaughter Association in the United Kingdom and conducted humane slaughter workshops in rural areas of Kenya," says Jean Gilchrist, director of the KSPCA. "He had very broad training in all aspects of animal welfare."
Agesa was also responsible for making sure camels exported from Kenya to the Middle East were transported under acceptable conditions and were provided with adequate, clean water and food at all times.
Whether he was cleaning cages, walking dogs or spearheading campaigns to change the lives of animals for the better, Agesa was always helpful and could handle any situation that he encountered. Of all his wonderful traits, Agesa was best known for being patient. He would never deny an animal help, even if it meant that he would have to work longer hours or give more of his personal time.
"Agesa liked to take in animals who were considered difficult to handle," recalls Gilchrist. "One cat named Mr. Agesa was especially hard to treat, and required eye drops, medication and injections. Agesa was happy to care for his namesake and never complained, even when he showed up for work scratched and bleeding!"
One of Agesa's favorite charges was Mkombozi, a dog made famous for saving an abandoned infant in a trash heap. Mkombozi became a permanent resident of the KSPCA.
After battling cancer for several months, Agesa passed away in May 2007. He will be sorely missed by the staff of the KSPCA and others in the international animal welfare field, but he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come.
"It is hard to think we will not see Agesa again," says Gilchrist. "He was so dedicated to his work and had such a pleasant manner with the public. He was so good with difficult people and often managed to bring them round to his point of view. We will be planting a tree in his memory at the KSPCA headquarters."
In honor of Agesa and our long relationship with the KSPCA, Humane Society International will offer a scholarship for an intern in his name at our annual Animal Care Expo.
