SUSTAINABILITY

Oria Douglas-Hamilton’s heartfelt eco-philosophy is closely aligned to the 4 Cs that were recently endorsed by the Long Run Initiative – Conservation, Culture, Community and Commerce – that represents a growing community of destinations, businesses and organisations committed to human wellbeing through responsible enterprise on a healthy planet. At Elephant Watch Portfolio, we are passionate about conservation and ensuring the long-term sustainability and health of Kenya’s wildlife and unique indigenous cultures. Ecosystem safety, which is the maintenance of our planet and all its life-sustaining regions in the healthiest possible state, lies at the very heart of our business ethic. We believe that all life – both animal and plant – should be treated with compassion and respect.

Up to 90% of our workforce is local, mainly from the Samburu community near Elephant Watch Camp, or local village close to Olerai in Naivasha. We provide extensive training to help our staff gain new skills to adapt to the modern world while retaining their vibrant traditions. Eco-tourism is an essential alternative livelihood for the extraordinary, stoic nomads of Samburu, as it is for the rural people of Naivasha. Oria’s work with women across Kenya over the last 40 years, and through her community clinic in Naivasha, has vastly improved the lives of thousands of families through self-empowerment, education, family planning, HIV/Aids awareness, and zero tolerance of gender abuse.

We try to we lead by example to encourage sustainability as a way of life, and we actively promote an anti-pollution lifestyle (recycling and reusing wherever possible), organic farming, and self-sufficiency in food, electricity and water. We use tourism and trade to promote wildlife conservation by providing jobs and sales outlets for the local communities, to educate nomadic children, and to train wildlife guides and chefs to the highest levels.

We support Save the Elephants by enchanting guests with the magical world of elephants and other wild creatures, raising awareness of conservation issues, providing an interface for donors to meet field researchers, fund raising internationally, and expanding the global constituency of people who will use their influence to vote in favour of elephants. Many of our guests have become passionate supporters of Save the Elephants, donors to the Elephant Crisis Fund, or have sponsored students to attend secondary school or University through the Elephant Watch Scholarship Fund.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US

Your support is vital in helping us to continue all the sustainability work highlighted above that is part of the ethos of our portfolio. Get in touch with us through our form below to help us further our work, even if it’s from afar.

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