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Eco-Loans from the Zawadisha Fund to Boost Women Entrepreneurship in Kasigau Corridor
At Wildlife Works, we believe in empowering women to overcome societal limitations imposed on them by continuously supporting and investing in projects that enable women to make an independent livelihood. We are proud to announce the inclusion of our newest partner in these efforts. The Zawadisha Fund, a non-governmental and non-profit microfinance organization that provides affordable loan facilities to groups of women around Kenya, began work in the Marungu area of the Kasigau Corridor late last year and is already tremendously influencing the lives of marginalized women in the area. On their arrival to Marungu, leaders of the organization met with us to discuss the scope of their project in…
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Marasi Primary School Renovations
Many people in the Kasigau Corridor view Marasi Primary School as the symbolic center of Maungu, which is the town nearest to our Wildlife Works REDD+ Kasigau Headquarters. Many of our employees, including the Human Resources Manager, Laurian Lenjo, completed their primary education there. Unfortunately, a visit to this school, started by parents in 1974, revealed crumbling roofs, peeling paint and door-less classrooms. Students who are fortunate enough to obtain a seat during class must sit at unstable desks that are shared with at least four others, while the remaining children sit on the dusty floor. Several months ago, the school received critical funding through the sale of carbon credits…
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Empowering School Girls in Kasigau Corridor to Remain in School
Lack of sanitary pads is a common concern for girls and women living in poverty-stricken backgrounds in developing nations. In dire circumstances, they are forced to improvise by using rags, tissue, leaves and other unhygienic materials. This humiliating practice can also lead to serious infections. Studies and research have also attributed the lack of sanitary towels as the main cause of school absenteeism for countless teenage girls in rural and poverty-stricken areas in Kenya. A recent collaborative study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), The Girl Child Network (GCN) and Human Relations Trust (HRT) shows that one in every ten girls in Africa misses school and eventually drops out…
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Marking Milestones, The First Students of Wildlife Works Graduate
The first Wildlife Works Nursery School graduation ceremony was a joyful occasion filled with dance and song along with awards to recognize the student’s achievements. Parents and teachers, among others, used the opportunity to express their gratitude for the nursery school at Wildlife Works. Dressed in navy blue gowns, which had been tailored at the local Wildlife Works clothing factory, the graduating students recited classroom songs while guests took the time to reflect on what the Wildlife Works Nursery School (based at our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project) means to them. Daniel Munyao, who is the Manager at the Wildlife Works eco-factory, where most of the pupils’ parents work, highlighted the…
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Brown Kimonge Makes a Living from Screen Printing
Brown Kimonge, father of five and screen printer at the Wildlife Works Kasigau REDD+ Project screen printing facility, is the subject of our latest who’s who post. “I started work at Wildlife Works in January 2012,” Brown recalls. Born into a polygamous family in 1962, Brown was the fourth of twelve children. For as long as he’s able to recall, life has been a consistent struggle for survival. Like most children in rural Kenya, Brown walked to school barefoot and undertook menial jobs, including fishing at the local dam, to supplement his family’s income. Fortunately, Brown was able to progress up to his ‘O’ levels (standardized tests for high school-aged…
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Getting to know Daniel Munyao: Wildlife Works EPZ Factory Manager
In our latest who’s who profile series, we caught up with Daniel Munyao, production and quality control manager at the Wildlife Works EPZ factory as part of our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project. Daniel was born in Machakos County and recalls his early life as a constant struggle for survival. He frequently went to school hungry and without shoes on his feet. At a young age, Daniel was forced to stop attending due to the high financial stress it put on his parents. Fortunately soon after, a humanitarian organization called World Vision that had begun to form a presence in the area, was sponsoring young people to study vocational courses in…
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Wildlife Works Offsets Volcom Fiji Pro 2013
Wildlife Works is ecstatic to be the official carbon offset provider of Sustainable Surf, at the Volcom Fiji Pro – Deep Blue Surfing Event! Sustainable Surf is a non-profit charity organization that helps major surf contests reduce their impact with a comprehensive approach to reducing waste, using renewable energy and supporting local communities. Utilizing our Kasigau REDD+ project we were able to offset 100% of the carbon from the Volcom FIjji Pro event that took place in June 2013! The following information has been copied directly from sustainablesurf.org: What is a Deep Blue Surfing Event anyway? A Deep Blue Surfing Event is a more “Ocean Friendly” event, which has been endorsed by the…
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Poachers Threaten More Than Just Our Wildlife
Not only are wildlife criminals heavily armed and extremely dangerous, the threat of violence from poachers is not limited to the slaughter of animals. Recently, the gruesome murder of a young man in Maungu Ranch has put an entire community on edge. The body of motorcycle operator William Kiroka Mambo was discovered near the Maungu Ranch in June, 2013. According to one of the other boda boda (motorcycle) operators, “At around eleven o’clock on Thursday night, two people of Somali origin made a stop at the motorcycle stage where they requested a ride to their destination.” Reportedly, many of the boda boda operators were not eager to take up the…
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Elizabeth Juma Mwamkono: Utilizing an Opportunity
Elizabeth Juma Mwamkono, a seamstress in our eco-factory, can attest that life needs to be faced with every ounce of courage that can be mustered. Born and raised in Taru, Mombasa County, Elizabeth has faced a number of challenges in her life. Elizabeth said that while she was growing up, many of the young people in her neighborhood, faced with uncertain futures due to financial hurdles, turned to prostitution, drug abuse and violence. She was determined not to fall into these traps, and decided to focus her efforts on getting an education. Liz remembers being sent away from school frequently due to lack of funds, but even her prolonged absences…
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Kenya Airways and Wildlife Works allow you to travel the world while protecting the environment
Kenya Airways has teamed up with Wildlife Works to allow passengers to offset the carbon emissions from every flight. To help spread the word, Kenya Airways has included Wildlife Works in their in-flight magazine. The following is extracted from the feature in Msafiri magazine: Each time you travel with Kenya Airways, the airline gives you the option to offset the environmental cost of your flight simply by checking a box, and know that you can enjoy seeing the world and help to safeguard the future of the planet at the same time. Choosing to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions produced by your flight is a credible IATA (International Air Transport Association) approved way…