Save and Rescue an Asian Elephant Today

We would like to share the most recent trustee report from the GVI Charitable Trust. This report covers the six month period from July to December 2011.

We are delighted to share that this has been by far our most successful period, raising in six months nearly as much as we did the whole of the previous year. This increase in funding has brought a corresponding increase in the impact we have been able to create on our programs around the world.

During this period we have invested in sustainable education across Latin America including support for the elderly in Guatemala and income generation schemes to support education in Honduras and Ecuador. In Mexico we have worked with a community to establish a recycling centre and in Kenya our partners in Mombasa will now realise their goal of seeing impoverished students through to completion of the primary education earning recognised qualifications for the first time. 

These are just a few highlights of an amazing, productive and rewarding six months. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and played a crucial role in these achievements.

• July - December 2011 Trustee Report (PDF)
  

After a considerable amount of time working with Elephants in Huay Pakoot, Chiang Mai, Thailand we can now observe remarkable differences with the elephants which are now living in the wild.

GVI Volunteers work on the project throughout the year helping to create a safe environment for the Elephants and collecting important research. In addition they work with the local people helping them to develop alternative livelihoods.

A recent volunteers shared this story about one of the regular forest walks with the elephants:

‘The elephants were very curious about us and they made their way over to say hi when we first came upon them. Then each elephant went on their way, ripping down bamboo to eat as they went. We even saw Elephant Thong Dee, who is usually a bit antisocial, put her trunk in Boon Jan's mouth. The elephants were also very vocal and we heard a lot of rumbling and trumpeting all morning long. We also heard gibbons calling in the distance. Their call is very distinct and haunting and it was incredible to be hiking in the jungle observing elephants and hear gibbons calling off in the distance. At one point the gibbons were calling and the elephants were rumbling at the same time. It was a truly breathtaking moment and a very memorable hike overall.’

Funds raised through the GVI Charitable Trust will help us to bring more elephants and the owners into this program, creating a sustainable population.

To further support the project a group of GVI staff and volunteer will be participating in the Christmas day Chiang Mai Marathon. They have been working hard to both fundraise and train for the big day, good luck to everyone taking part.

Many thanks to everyone who has supported this project and have a wonderful Christmas break.