BRIKA and The Clinton Foundation Team Up to Save Elephants

The ivory trade has long been a problem that has led to the steady decline of elephants in Africa. In 1989, the sale of elephant tusks was banned worldwide, and ivory sales finally started to decline. Unfortunately, this didn't stop poaching; 20 percent of the African elephant population has been wiped out in the last three years. That's 96 elephants a day. In response to this crisis, BRIKA—a shopping website that features items made by North American artists and designers—and The Bill, Hillary, & Chelsea Clinton Foundation have joined forces to combat poachers and the ivory trade.

BRIKA is currently featuring 20 different elephant-inspired goodies as part of their #SaveElephants Collection, including pillows, jewelry, and more, which are available now through the holidays. "When we reached out to our artisan community about creating these exclusive items, they were beyond inspired, and they got creative," co-founder Jen Lee Koss said. "We could not be more excited to be featuring such beautiful and unique items for elephant-­lovers out there!" Proceeds from the sales will benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International.

Chelsea Clinton, the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, called the slaughter of elephants "an ecological disaster and a moral tragedy. Alarmingly, the proceeds from the ivory trade fund some of the world’s most infamous terrorist organizations including Al Qaeda, Al Shabab and the Lord’s Resistance Army. BRIKA’s products carry a story—something I love about BRIKA’s community. Each maker seeks to create an item that represents something bigger than the item itself. Pairing this talented and caring community with a cause like this is the perfect match.”