This Christmas Rock and Stones are proudly supporting the amazing work that the Milgis Trust does. We will be giving 5% of our profits from our Christmas sales to the Milgis Trust.

The Milgis Trust was formed in 2004. The Trust covers a breathtaking area of 6000 square km encompassing the Mathews Range, the Ndoto Mountains and the Chalbi Desert. The Trust was formed as an amalgamation of other local initiatives to try and re-establish the harmony that once existed between the local Samburu people, the wildlife and the natural habitat of the area. Elephants were the largest of the animals to once live here and the success of the combined efforts of all the stakeholders, led by the Trust, has brought about the quite remarkable return of these impressive beasts. Furthermore, the Samburu people and the wildlife are learning to co-exist peacefully as once before.

The return of the elephant to this area has been the aim of the Milgis Trust and it heralds the restoration of the local habitat and improvement in the peaceful coexistence between man and wildlife.
In the 1970s the poaching of elephant along with other game combined with the indiscriminate cutting and burning of the forests had largely taken over this area. The Milgis Trust perceived that these destructive activities took place as a result of a mismatch between the traditional values of the Samburu combined with the very real temptations of the more materialistic modern world, which had begun to infiltrate the area.

The Milgis Trust has had a positive and very real effect on the area using a number of initiatives. Right from the beginning, they realised that attitudes needed to change and they recognised that a relationship in perception had to occur to bring about renewed enthusiasm in how the environment and its wildlife were both viewed and treated. Like most of such programmes, it all started with an active and dynamic education scheme. New schools were built, inspiring teachers enlisted and videos were used to engage and energise students. Active and committed teams patrol and secure the area from poachers and other external influences. Health initiatives and family planning helped to look after and reassure the community ensuring that they can have some control over their own destiny. Finally, water resources have been restored and increased along with teaching the local people how to keep and manage bees, alongside other livestock management.

The Milgis Trust is passionate about spreading the activity of beekeeping as part of an improved understanding of animal husbandry.