MAS Holdings partners with The Wildlife Foundation Kenya
South Asian apparel manufacturer,MAS Holdings (MAS)has partnered with The Wildlife Foundation (TWF), Kenya to conserve 6,250 acres of the Nairobi National Park Wildlife Dispersal Area.
In line with the MAS Plan for Change commitment of restoring 25,000 acres of habitat, this unique initiative enables MAS and TWF to collaborate with local landowners to conserve wildlife on community- and privately-owned land.
The project commenced in March 2022, with a land-lease gathering ceremony with the participation of 58 landowners from the Athi-Kaputiei area. The project is an extension of TWF’s ongoing conservancy model, through which TWF leases lands from local owners to promote wildlife conservation and better land use practices. Through this partnership, MAS has been able to expand TWF’s existing conservancy of 5,000 acres to a total coverage of 11,250 acres.
The conservancy model utilizes both monetary and non-monetary incentives to encourage landowners and local communities to keep land unfenced for wildlife and livestock to move freely in the outskirt lands of the park. This is coupled with initiatives to raise awareness on community-based conservation, place community rangers to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, train youth and women on topics such as beekeeping, biogas, and promote the use of technology to innovate solutions for conservation challenges.
Through the conservancy model, which is collaboratively funded by MAS’ strategic business units MAS Intimates and MAS Kreeda,MAS and TWF provide financial incentives to landowners, tokeep private lands open and unfenced for wildlife movement. This contributes to reducing human retaliations against lions and other predators as well assupportingto improve the education of the children in the area by providing landowners with lease payments aligned to the start of the children’s school terms.
MAS established its manufacturing facility in Kenya in 2020, through its subsidiary MAS Intimates. Today, MAS Intimates Kenya (EPZ) Ltd is a leading manufacturer and exporter of lingerie and apparel wear to leading markets in the USA, Europe and Asia, and provides job opportunities for 3,200 Kenyans.The lands in the conservancy model are leased from the Machakos and Kajiado counties, where the majority of MAS Intimates Kenya staff reside.
This conservation project not only contributes considerably to MAS’ target of restoring 25,000 acres of habitat but has also created an opportunity for MAS to engage holistically with its local community in Kenya. The group’s sustainability strategy, the MAS Plan for Change, focuses on 12 commitments under three areas of focus of product, lives, and planet, including championing biodiversity and creating thriving communities.
MAS and TWF have committed to collaborate on this unique conservancy project for the next five years, with the collective hope of uplifting and empowering the community to help change our planet for good.
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