We are beyond thrilled to have made over $100,000 for anti-snare patrols since starting our women led jewelry business in 2013.
This milestone coincides with British Vogue selecting us for their ‘Consciously Vogue’ section, in their acclaimed September issue, guest edited by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
To marry recognition from the leading global fashion magazine with our conservation achievement is a true thrill and where the story began.
The Mulberry Mongoose vision was built into the business name and remains our North Star. The banded ‘Mongoose’ can only survive in the bush by looking out for each other. They don’t have strength like lion or speed like cheetah - they have each other. Some keep watch for predators, others nanny the young, still others seek food; by working together they survive and thrive. We are comparable, 75 % of our local team are single or double orphans and all have 6 or more dependents to care for. Yet our courageous women have contributed hugely to conservation and hand craft jewelry now recognized by British Vogue. By working together they have not just survived but thrived.
Like the mongoose, our business cares for the community so we grow stronger; we look to source materials from local crafts people reinvesting in the economy and making our jewelry original and unique to beautiful Zambia. We donate money back to conservation with every sale and transform brutal snare wire into beautiful jewelry; this has the added advantage of permanently removing unwanted snare traps from the system. Our jewelry tells an important story of brave rangers who collect snare wire before it harms and maims our wildlife; a story to be shared far and wide to further acknowledge and fund their critical work. As chance would have it a group of mongoose is called a ‘business’; I love the connection between supporting a community and strong, successful commercial values.
At the beginning of this year the team and I sat under a Combretum tree planning how to further fulfill our vision. We agreed to strive harder to hit our ‘Mulberry’ namesake. Mulberry, a British colour and fruit tree that grew in my childhood garden, was picked to spur us to make jewelry that people would take pride in wearing across the globe. Innovative, contemporary design and a service that rivals any UK or international business. True it’s challenging running a business in the bush. I don’t remember an elephant smashing the door down when I worked in London; my hands never bled or had blisters from handling course wire either! But we feel these ‘minor’ disturbances shouldn’t hold us back.
We have expanded how we work with snare wire to create more designs that can be worn and enjoyed by style-led women and men with a passion and empathy for Africa.
Thank you so much for believing and supporting our work. We are excited to know what the next six years hold and we would love you to come along for the ride.
xKate and the Mulberry Mongoose team
