Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network Welcomes Beadworks Kenya - A Bussiness Line of NRT Trading

ISIOLO, Kenya - March 31, 2017 - PRLog -- The Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (http://wildlifefriendly.org/) (WFEN), a global community dedicated to the development and promotion of products and tourism that contribute to the conservation of threatened wildlife and to the economic vitality of rural landscapes, is pleased to announce the awarding of Wildlife Friendly® Certification to BeadWORKS Kenya, a business line of Northern Rangelands Trading Limited (NRTT), providing conservation-linked economic opportunity to people and communities in northern Kenya.

When you empower women in northern Kenya, you are supporting children's education, boosting local economies and protecting wildlife.  Every BeadWORKS item is handcrafted by one of over 1,000 women from 9 NRT community conservancies.  The women gather together under the shade of an acacia tree to craft individual beaded items for sale all over the world.  Through BeadWORKS, they are able to earn a living using their traditional beading skills rather than through livestock grazing, charcoal production and other environmentally damaging activities.

BeadWORKS empowers pastoralist women and changes their attitudes about local wildlife as they discover the connection between bead sales and wildlife protection.  The ripple effects of these attitudes spread through their families and communities, creating broader impacts for wildlife.  Many species - in particular elephants - are thriving as sustainable businesses grow around conservation.  Since 2012, elephant poaching in northern Kenya's community conservancies has dropped by 53%.

"We know from research around the world that improving women's lives is a key poverty alleviation strategy because they invest in their future and the future of their families.  Women also often make important decisions about the use of natural resources in a community.  By giving wildlife an economic value while alive, rather than for meat and parts in the illegal wildlife trade, and by directly linking wildlife and habitat conservation to livelihood benefits, you have accomplished something quite significant. We applaud the wonderful work of the superstar women entrepreneurs of BeadWORKS," said Julie Stein, Executive Director of WFEN.

By buying Certified Wildlife Friendly® products from Beadworks consumers are helping empower women and families, and conserve wildlife and natural resources in northern Kenya.