Ellie + Lion are proud to be supporting the Swedish based non-profit organisation, Wildhood Foundation. Wildhood raise funds and awareness to strengthen the protection of elephants, rhinos, lions and other endangered species against poaching, trafficking and captivity.
€1 is donated from every Ellie + Lion piece purchased to help Wildhood protect these threatened species. Wildhood forward 100% of all funds raised to the hands on work in the field, where every life matters!
One of the things we love the most about Wildhood Foundation is Akashinga, the world’s first fully armed, all female, anti-poaching unit.
These brave women form the first and last line of defense for nature in the area they operate. Their mission is to help protect one of Africa’s biggest remaining elephant populations in the Lower Zambezi valley, Zimbabwe. This is a critical area that have lost 40% of its elephants during the last 16 years, mainly to poaching.
Akashinga employ females only, and solely from the local rural communites. The unit favors the most disadvantaged women; previous orphans, victims of serious sexual assault and abuse, and women who have lost custody of their children. By empowering these women, this program does not only protect the unique nature and its wildlife. It also helps build the economy in the community.
A growing body of evidence suggests that empowering women is the single biggest force for positive change in the world today. A women invests up to three times as much of her salary back in her household and family compared to a man. This helps develop the rural communities, reduce poverty, give better access to health care and increase education level as children stay in school longer. A winning concept for both animals and people.
Founder and CEO of Wildwood Foundation, Filippa Tarras-Wahlberg has been devoted to conservation since her time working at a chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya years ago.
"It was not difficult to fall in love with Africa. I remember waking up when the sun was raising over the beautiful landscape, with all of the iconic African species living on my doorstep. A magic world where us humans are only guests! The threat against our wildlife today is severe, and the fact that many species might be gone with our lifetime made me realize it’s time to act. Out from an idea that everything is possible, I started Wildhood Foundation. A small charity with big dreams and high goals – to protect and save threatened species from extinction. While there is still a chance. I simply refuse to live in a world where elephants, rhinos, lions, pangolins, apes and giraffes no longer exist in the wild. A reality which is now sadly within sight. No one can do everything but I believe everyone can do something, and together we can make this world a happier place for all lives."
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