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Save the kale: How one leafy green is changing lives
For some of us, eating vegetables is a chore. For others, it is a means of survival. In Kenya, kale is referred to as “Sukuma wiki” which means “to stretch the week” in Swahili. The green leafy plant serves as a staple of the average person’s diet, especially for those living on less than a dollar per day. During periods of drought, the demand for water becomes crucial for plant, animal and human use. Water shortages can cause food to become scarce, and what does reach the markets is priced exorbitantly high. The inflated prices leave families without enough food to feed everyone. In these desperate times, the youngest children…
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Meet Willy Kanyeki: Greenhouse Supervisor
Willy Kanyeki is a young and energetic employee who has been with Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project for seven years, and our permanent greenhouse supervisor for four. During his childhood, Kanyeki was passionate about planting and watering trees, and hoped to study Environmental Science as a career. Though he could not proceed with his education due to lack of funds, he did not let go of his passion, and was optimistic that he could do something for the environment irrespective of his academic background. Inspired by what Wildlife Works does to conserve the environment in his home area of Kasigau, Kanyeki decided to volunteer at the our greenhouse back…
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Meet Betty, Wildlife Works’ Enterprising Soap Maker
By: Cara Braund- Conservation Intern- 12th November 2011 In an area such as the Kasigau Corridor, where there are thousands of people out of regular work, Wildlife Works has been instrumental in providing jobs for hundreds of people in different sectors of the company. In order to reach as many families as possible, one important factor has been the diverse range of employment available. If you’re not made to be a cutter or sewer in the eco-factory, maybe you could be a ranger, or put those green fingers to use in the greenhouse or use your knowledge of mechanics in the workshop. Furthermore, by training local residents in the different…
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Wildlife Works Crew to the Rescue, One Baby Elephant at a Time
By: CARA BRAUND- Conservation Intern- 5th October 2011 Monday mornings aren’t always the most exciting in many offices, but this Monday at Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project proved to be a little different than usual! We received a phone call from one of our rangers saying that an elephant had become stuck in a muddy rock catchment on our neighbouring ranch. Apparently the creature was only around two years old, and had been stuck for over 24 hours.With none of her family members in sight, it was important we help her out of her predicament as soon as possible before she became too dehydrated. The team raced to Kivuko rock…
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Wildlife Works Eco Tourism Partner Camps International Win Eco-Warrior Award
Camps International Win Eco-Warrior Award On Thursday 25th November 2010 Camps International (CI) and more specifically Camp Kenya were awarded the Eco-Warrior Award for the Most Sustainable Community Based Tourism Enterprise in East Africa. The Eco-Warrior Awards were launched by Ecotourism Kenya in 2005 as part of their drive to broaden industry understanding of responsible tourism and are assessed against four main criteria; outstanding innovation, real achievements, sustainability of the initiative and its replicability. This has to be achieved whilst respecting the environment, local people and cultures, and linking with communities to positively empower economies and promote self-sufficiency and environmental governance. In the words of Ecotourism Kenya; ‘Camp Kenya partners,…
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Karibu
Karibu means Welcome in Swahili. This is the pre pre relaunch blog of Wildlife Works, which was started in 1997 by the visionary Mike Korchinsky. Mike’s first trip to Africa for vacation 14 years ago launched him into a lifetime’s work to save Africa’s wildlife. He saw a cycle of violence between the rangers, poachers and wildlife that prevented any chance for long-term, sustainable solutions for the community. He quit the consulting company he started and sold, purchased 80,000 acres of land in East Kenya to build his vision for Wildlife Works, an apparel production company advancing economic and social solutions for communities where wildlife survival is threatened. Currently, over…