The #StepCloser program and its impact to date

Our commitments as a brand start with our products and extend through the #STEPCLOSER program that we created last year. We allocate 3% of our time and 30% of our profits to this program through which we support local initiatives to protect endangered wildlife.

The first species protected through this program is the Tapanuli orangutan (Sumatra, Indonesia). We never imagined watching The Jungle Book and having to explain to our future offspring why Mowgli could no longer waddle with King Louie in real life... Alongside the Sumatra Rainforest Institute, we bring our humble contribution to the preservation of this orange hairball. More recently, the Pams Foundation joined us. This grassroots NGO acts for the preservation of wildlife in Tanzania, and in particular African elephants .

MEEKO x SUMATRA RAINFOREST INSTITUTE

The Sumatra Rainforest Institute (SRI) is an 8-year-old Indonesian NGO based in Sumatra. It is a local NGO with about twenty employees and offices in Medan (main city in North Sumatra) and in Padang Sidempuan. Its main mission is the protection and conservation of the primary forest of Sumatra . Today the activity of the SRI is divided into 4 axes: the restoration and reforestation of the forest / the protection and conservation of endangered species / the education and awareness of local populations / politics. These topics are obviously closely related. Guillaume had the chance to work alongside them during a voluntary service at the end of 2019. He invites you to dive into the heart of the NGO's subjects in a dedicated article .

The SRI has a unit for the protection of orangutans and other endangered endemic species (the Sumatran tiger, the Sumatran elephant and the Sumatran rhinoceros in particular). MEEKO donates 30% of its profits to this program, in order to give more resources to the NGO to strengthen its actions in the field (staff, equipment, etc.). Last year, more than €1,500 was donated.

But that's not all. We believe that the brand and its community have more to offer than money. This is why we dedicate one day / month to a specific project defined with the SRI teams. Last year, we worked on a project related to raising awareness among children in Sumatra. By mobilizing members of our community with specific skills, we produced a motion design video presenting the notion of biodiversity and the factors that threaten it in Sumatra.

This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpz9WwYlWaE is now broadcast in schools in the North of the island, during awareness workshops led by the staff of the NGO.

MEEKO x PAMS FOUNDATION

At the start of the year, MEEKO has just added a second association to the programme: the Pams Foundation. We are starting our contribution to financing a mission to secure a natural migratory corridor for African elephants in Tanzania .

In the northern region of Ngorongoro, human activity has caused large mammals to change their migratory route. The only problem? Animals now pass very close to crop fields (often even through them) and villages. The result: countless human vs. wildlife conflicts. The NGO Pams Foundation trains and employs young locals to secure the passage of wildlife. This is the “Elephants' Guardians” program. We have been supporting this initiative financially since the beginning of the year, with already nearly €1,000 in the kitty for African elephants .

To follow our various projects and, why not, get involved with us: subscribe to our wild news at the bottom of the page.

See you soon young mongoose.