You may not normally consider elephants and jewelry in the same thought, but Acacia Creations, founded by Maura Kroh in 2007, hopes that you will.
Acacia Creations works with artisans in Kenya and other countries who create handcrafted jewelry and home accents in traditional and sustainable ways.
Maura’s inspiration for her company stemmed from working in refugee camps in Kenya and witnessing the frustration of local artists who were creating beautiful products with no market for selling them.
Acacia Creations donates 10% of the sales from their Endangered Collection to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, whose mission it is to support, protect, and preserve the African Wilderness, in particular, Kenya’s largest wildlife refuge, which is home to over 12,000 elephants. Dr. Daphne Sheldrick and her husband David Sheldrick created the trust more than forty years ago to support the orphan elephant rehabilitation program. Much of the success of this program was based on Daphne’s discovery of replacement milk formula for orphaned elephants.
Today, the Trust supports wildlife in Kenya in various ways, including anti-poaching efforts, education, veterinary assistance for injured animals, and providing temporary and permanent water sources for areas affected by drought, an increasing problem due to the effects of climate change.
To learn more, visit https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/.
This was written in collaboration with McClure.