Elephant-Human Relations Aid
The Veterinary Marketing Association is excited to announce that it will be supporting the charity Elephant-Human Relations Aid (EHRA) in 2020, with a goal to raise at least £2,000 at the VMA 2019 Annual Awards.
EHRA is a not for profit organisation that cultivates an extensive approach to desert elephant conservation in Namibia, Africa. Their mission is to minimize the pressure on rural communities living with the elephants and to ensure the desert elephants’ long-term survival through a community-based holistic approach.
The charity was proposed as a partner for the VMA by committee member Matthew Morten, who has direct experience of the amazing work that EHRA are involved with. “Elephant welfare and survival in the wild is a hugely emotive subject; everyone likes to support these magnificent creatures that are continually persecuted by humans” explains Matthew.
“EHRA is a small charity that works slightly differently. They rely on volunteers visiting them in Namibia to do the work needed. I’ve been to the areas they work in and it’s great to see the immediate benefits from volunteers’ efforts.”
Often, the only way people benefit from the elephants is through trophy hunting or hunting those declared as problem animals. EHRA’s People and Elephants Amicably Co-Existing (PEACE) project seeks to change this by helping people live with their elephant neighbours through education, raising awareness and promoting ventures to enhance the livelihoods of local communities.
Conflict between elephants and humans exists due to increased competition for land and water resources, and a lack of knowledge on how to live together peacefully.
The PEACE Project depends solely on donations, grants and other funding to provide training to communities free of charge. These donations help pay for the educational materials, transportation and meals.
The entire program aims to produce more informed and safe residents and tourists who can appreciate elephants as a significant asset in their lives. This hopefully will lead to more relaxed, less aggressive elephants as well.
To read more about EHRA and the PEACE project visit: https://www.ehranamibia.org/about
To book your tickets for the VMA 2019 Annual Awards visit: https://vma.org.uk/annual-award-booking/
