Posted by Shaheena Links on
What is Mulberry Mongoose?
They are a group of 7 courageous ladies and 1 gentleman who reflect the grace and ruggedness of the unique South Luangwa valley in each piece of jewellery we hand craft. Their workshop is located on a well-worn elephant path in the South Luangwa and we take local materials from coins to seeds to handcraft extraordinary accessories.
Beauty from Brutality: turning Snare wire into good
With every piece of jewellery sold we donate back to help fund anti snare patrols and have contributed over $122,000 since they started in 2013. They have won a lot of attention from celebrities and leading publications including National Geographic, Marie Claire US and Departures US because they use snare wire, collected in by anti-snare patrols, in their jewellery. To transform brutal snare wire into a beautiful jewellery bead requires innovation, strength and tenacity and it's a testament to our team. A snare bead can take over 1 hour to make.
Why are we called Mulberry Mongoose?
Their name captures their business purpose. The banded mongoose is a wonderful animal found here in the bush. They 'chatter' incessantly just like myself and the Mulberry Mongoose team! They also survive in the bush by being a community, one mongoose keeps watch while the others feed for example. Similarly, Mulberry Mongoose grows as a business by caring for our environment, firstly creating invaluable employment and also by protecting the wildlife. Mulberry is a British colour and the owner Kate grew up in England and had a Mulberry tree in her garden. As a business they strive to be as professional and efficient as any other Western business despite the challenges of running a business in the bush. They also want their clients to love their product because of its quality and style. The word ‘Mulberry’ symbolises that drive.
