Four Steps to Freedom

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Four Steps to Freedom

Four Steps to Freedom is the new name of Friends of Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue. We’re wiping out rabies in Tanzania, one town at a time. Will you help?

Through our sustainable, four-step approach, we are wiping out rabies in Tanzania to save lives, end animal cruelty & break the chain of rabies infection for good. We believe no family in Tanzania should have to live with the fear of losing a child to rabies. The charity was founded by Glasgow-based Phyllis Hutchison following a visit to the Arusha region of Tanzania in May 2014. Driving through t

he streets of Meserani, a town in the Arusha region, she was shocked by the sight of dozens of maimed and injured dogs. She was surprised to learn that the animals were the victims of local anti-rabies ‘culls’: they had been shot or mutilated, then left to die. The story grew more tragic, as she learned that such culls are driven not by cruelty, but by fear: an estimated 1500 people – mostly children under 15 – die of rabies every year in Tanzania, after being bitten by infected dogs. The animal cruelty she had witnessed was simply the result of ordinary families’ attempts to protect their children from the risk of a fatal bite. We work with grassroots local charities and NGOs including Mbwa Wa Africa Animal Rescue. With the support of our donors, our volunteers and our partners, we are determined to step up the frontline battle to eradicate rabies from communities in Tanzania, saving human and animal lives and educating children and adults in the humane treatment of domestic animals.

20/05/2026

Some dogs leave pawprints so deep, they stay with us forever.

Last week, Phyllis said goodbye to her beloved Ava.💔

Ava had been by her side for 18 years, headstrong, mischievous, fiercely loved, and impossible not to adore. The kind of dog who becomes part of your soul.

One day, she received a call about two dogs stranded beside a railway line, with trains passing every 30 minutes. 😔 The day Ava and Sophie entered her life.

When she first saw Ava, she immediately felt a deep connection. That moment began an adventure that would last nearly two decades. That day, she spent over two ours getting these two girls to safety. ❤️

18 years later, both Ava and Sophie passed away from kidney disease, just 14 months apart. They both fought courageous and Phyllis made sure they had the best life possible, till the very end. 🏡

Anyone who knows Phyllis knows that her love for dogs is not casual, it is deep, instinctive, and lifelong. It is also the reason Four Steps to Freedom exists today.

Behind every vaccination campaign, every fundraising effort, every building at the Gongo Centre, and every life saved in Tanzania, is someone who simply could not turn away from suffering.

Ava was part of that journey.💕

And while this loss is immeasurable, so too is the love that remains behind.🙏

We would also like to thank long-time supporter and friend Lorraine Miller, who donated £1,000 in Ava’s memory to support the ongoing work of Four Steps to Freedom, a beautiful tribute to a dog who meant so much.

Run free, Ava.🕊❤️

16/05/2026

No two days at the Gongo Centre are ever the same.😅

Each morning begins with preparation, cleaning and organising surgical equipment, checking on patients recovering overnight, preparing vaccines, and planning the day ahead.

Soon after, the clinic comes to life.

Some animals arrive for scheduled spay and neuter surgeries as part of our long-term rabies prevention work. Others come with emergencies that cannot wait.💔

Broken legs after traffic accidents.
Hip injuries.
Head trauma.
Tick fever.
Parvovirus.
Poisoning cases.
Suspected rabies cases requiring immediate isolation and careful handling.

The reality for many street animals in Tanzania is harsh, and our team faces that reality every single day.

Alongside emergency treatment, the clinic also provides free rabies vaccinations for local communities, an essential part of protecting both animals and people from a deadly but preventable disease.💉

Every surgery performed here helps reduce roaming and uncontrolled breeding.
Every vaccination helps break the transmission cycle.
Every treated animal is given a chance to recover.

Some days are exhausting.
Some days are heartbreaking.
But every day brings prevention, treatment, and hope.🙏

And through it all, the clinic team continues showing up, caring for animals, supporting communities, and working towards a safer future for all. ❤️

06/05/2026

Behind every treatment, every surgery, and every vaccination, there is a team making it happen.💪

At the Gongo Centre, the clinic team of Mbwa wa Africa works every day to care for animals, support communities, and drive forward the fight against rabies.💉

At the heart of this work are the people on the ground:
Dr. Anna, our veterinarian, alongside paraprofessional Naftal, veterinary assistants Haika and Juliana, receptionist Irine, and dog catcher Six.

Each of them plays a vital role.🙏

Their days are hands-on, fast-paced, and often unpredictable. From preparing surgeries and assisting in the clinic, to handling animals in the field and welcoming members of the community, their work keeps everything running.🏨

But their role goes beyond medical care.

They build trust, with dog owners, animals and within the wider community. This trust is essential. It allows vaccination campaigns to reach more animals, encourages responsible care, and helps create safer environments for both people and dogs.

Their skill, dedication, and teamwork are what make long-term change possible.

Because sustainable rabies elimination cannot rely on short-term interventions alone.

It depends on strong local teams, people who are here every day, who understand the challenges, and who continue the work long after campaigns end.❤️

The clinic team is the backbone of everything we do.

And every step towards a rabies-free future is built on their commitment.

26/04/2026

Behind every vaccination, every campaign, and every step towards rabies elimination, there are people who make it possible.👏

For Four Steps to Freedom, that journey begins with Phyllis Hutchison.💪

After witnessing the devastating impact of rabies in Tanzania in 2014, Phyllis made a decision that would shape everything that followed: to not turn away, but to take action.

What started with one rescued dog and one determined person quickly grew into something much bigger.🙌

Because she did not do it alone.

Since 2015, a dedicated team in Scotland has stood behind this work, giving their time, skills, and energy to build Four Steps to Freedom into what it is today.🏰

From fundraising and financial management to strategic direction and long-term planning, this team forms the backbone of everything that happens on the ground in Tanzania.

Led by Phyllis as Founder and Chair, the organisation is supported by a board and committee, individuals who share a deep belief in a future without rabies, and who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make that vision possible.❤️

Together, they have helped grow a small rescue effort into a structured programme, supporting vaccination campaigns, sterilisation work, and the development of the Gongo Centre.

Their work is not always visible.

But it is present in every clinic day, every field campaign, every life saved.🙏

Because rabies elimination is not just about action in the field, it is about the people who make that action possible.

Across borders. Across years. With unwavering commitment.

And it all started with one person who chose to act and a team who chose to stand beside her.💕

09/04/2026

Rabies elimination does not happen in one place.🌎

It happens on the ground, in villages, in communities, and door by door.

Since 2015, Four Steps to Freedom has been working alongside Mbwa wa Africa and Mission Rabies to carry out large-scale vaccination campaigns across the Arusha region.💉

Together, these efforts now reach over 11,000 dogs in just two weeks.

Each vaccination is a step towards breaking the cycle of transmission.

In recent years, this work has expanded even further. In collaboration with Edgard & Cooper, we are now able to carry out an additional large-scale campaign each year, reaching new project areas and extending protection to even more communities.🙏

But behind every number is a team.

Veterinarians, animal handlers, data collectors, drivers, coordinators, all working together to make each campaign possible. From early mornings to long days in the field, this is a true team effort.🫂

Many vaccinations happen door to door, ensuring that even the most remote or hard-to-reach animals are protected.

Because rabies elimination is not achieved in theory.
It is achieved through consistent, coordinated action.

One dog at a time.
One village at a time.
Together.

01/04/2026

Why Rabies Elimination Needs Vaccination + Sterilisation 🫂

Rabies can be prevented.
But prevention is not just one action.

Vaccination is essential , it protects dogs from the virus and breaks the cycle of transmission to humans.

But vaccination alone is not enough.

To eliminate rabies sustainably, it must be combined with sterilisation.

When dogs are not sterilised, populations grow quickly. More dogs means more movement, more competition, and more contact between animals, all of which increase the risk of bites and the spread of disease.💔

Sterilisation changes this.

Dogs that are sterilised are less likely to roam, fight, and reproduce. Populations become more stable, easier to reach, and easier to vaccinate consistently.

Fewer fights.
Fewer bites.
Lower risk of transmission.

This approach is also far more effective than culling.🙏

Removing dogs does not solve the problem, new dogs quickly move into the same area, and the cycle continues. Without vaccination and population control, rabies remains.💉

Vaccination protects.
Sterilisation stabilises.

Together, they create the conditions needed to eliminate rabies, not just temporarily, but for the long term.

25/03/2026

The Gongo Centre is more than a place, it is a system in action. It supports, the elimination of rabies. 💪

From here, prevention becomes possible.

Vaccines are stored safely and reliably, ensuring they are effective when they reach the field.
Our clinic provides the surgical capacity needed for large-scale spay and neuter programmes.
Our team can coordinate campaigns, prepare equipment, and respond efficiently when needed.
And when urgent situations arise, we have the ability to act quickly and responsibly.💉

This is what infrastructure makes possible.

Out in the field, this translates into vaccinated dogs, stabilised populations, and communities that are better protected from a deadly but preventable disease.

Rabies control is not one single action.
It is a chain of many steps, each one depending on the other.🫂

Without infrastructure, that chain breaks.

The Gongo Centre brings those steps together in one place, allowing our teams to work effectively, consistently, and at scale.

Because ending rabies is not just about what happens in the field, it starts with what is built behind the scenes.💪

21/03/2026

Preparedness saves lives.💪

At the Gongo Centre, our quarantine and isolation areas are essential in preventing the spread of disease, protecting both the animals in our care and the wider community.🫂

When new animals arrive, especially puppies, they first enter quarantine.

Puppies are particularly vulnerable. They often arrive without any vaccinations and with very little natural immunity. Their immune systems are still developing, and it takes time, supported by proper vaccinations, for them to build protection against common and potentially deadly diseases.💉

Quarantine gives them that time.

Here, they are kept separate from other animals, closely monitored, and begin their vaccination protocols in a controlled and safe environment. Strict hygiene measures are in place, including protective clothing, to ensure that they are not exposed to infections present in a busy clinic setting.🧡

Isolation serves a different, but equally critical purpose.

Animals with highly infectious diseases, such as parvovirus or suspected rabies, are cared for in dedicated isolation units to prevent any risk of transmission. Only trained and experienced veterinary staff handle these cases, following strict protocols to ensure safety at every step.🩺

This separation is not optional.
It is essential.

Without proper quarantine and isolation, diseases can spread rapidly, putting entire populations at risk and undermining all efforts in vaccination and prevention.

The Gongo Centre was designed with this in mind, creating the space and systems needed to respond responsibly, safely, and effectively.🙏

Because rabies elimination is not only about vaccines and surgery.
It is about preparedness, prevention, and protecting every life along the way.

12/03/2026

While Four Steps to Freedom focuses on rabies prevention through vaccination, sterilisation, and education, we never forget where this partnership began.❤️

Mbwa wa Africa was founded to rescue animals who had nowhere else to go, dogs and cats who were injured, neglected, traumatised, or simply unwanted.

At the Gongo Centre, the shelter kennels and cattery continue this vital work.💪

Here, animals receive medical care, time to recover, and the chance to regain trust before being rehomed into responsible and loving families. For many of them, this is the first place they experience safety and consistent care.
Special needs animals that require a lot of care and veterinary supervision, find their forever home at Mbwa wa Africa. 🏡

Proper housing is also an important part of maintaining health within a busy rescue and veterinary environment. Separating animals when needed and providing controlled spaces helps reduce the spread of disease and allows each animal to receive the care they need.

While prevention remains at the core of our mission, through vaccination and population control, there will always be animals who need immediate help. The shelter at the Gongo Centre ensures that these animals have a safe place to heal while waiting for a second chance.🙏

We are incredibly grateful that the construction of these kennel blocks was made possible through the generosity of two dedicated supporters: one block sponsored by Susan Bell, and the other by Four Steps to Freedom founder Phyllis Hutchison.

Their support has created a safe haven for countless dogs and cats who might otherwise have been forgotten.💔

Because every animal deserves more than survival, they deserve a future.💕

05/03/2026

Behind every successful spay and neuter campaign is careful planning and the right infrastructure.🏘

At the Gongo Centre, our holding kennels play an essential role in making large-scale sterilisation and vaccination campaigns possible.

During our outreach campaigns, dogs are brought to the centre from across our project areas. Some are beloved family pets, others are community dogs cared for by local shops or restaurants, and some are street dogs with no one to look after them.🐶

All arrive with the same purpose:
to be vaccinated against rabies and sterilised as part of long-term population control.

Without safe holding spaces, it would be impossible to manage these campaigns at the scale required to make a real difference. The kennels allow us to safely house dogs before and after surgery, monitor their recovery, and ensure they are ready to return safely to their homes or communities.❤️

While mobile clinics sometimes allow us to bring veterinary care directly into villages, many procedures, especially surgeries, require proper facilities. Bringing dogs to the Gongo Centre allows our veterinary team to work safely, efficiently, and with the highest standards of care.🩺

Every sterilisation helps reduce roaming, fighting and breeding, all factors that contribute to the spread of rabies.

Today, these kennels also support the daily work of our busy clinic, providing space for patients who need observation and care.🙏

This kennel block was generously sponsored by Luisa Carlow from Scotland, in loving memory of her beloved dog Coco.💕

Her gift continues to support hundreds of animals and plays a quiet but vital role in protecting both dogs and the communities who live alongside them.

Because rabies elimination is not only about vaccines or surgery.
It is about building the systems that make this work possible.💪

Address

Spiersbridge House
Glasgow
G468NG

Telephone

+441414283944

Website

https://fourstepstofreedom.org.uk/

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