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Letter: Elephant orphanage will never forget Sudbury's generosity

Fundraiser touched by Sudburians 'enormous support'
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David Shelderick Wildlife Trust head keeper Edwin Lusichi accepts a donation of $1,200 from Sajidha and Fatima Bagha of Greater Sudbury. (Supplied)

If you have been to the Sudbury Earth Day Festival, or the Boréal Festival, or the Canada Day Festival at Science North, you may remember me in my elephant stall volunteering for the David Shelderick Wildlife Trust, a charity in Kenya primarily renowned for their elephant orphanage.

When I learned of the poaching crises of African elephants in 2012, I knew that I had to spread awareness of the dire situation facing African elephants. African elephants were being killed in large numbers all over Africa because of demand for ivory from China.

At that time, I discovered the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a Kenyan charity that seeks to preserve these great animals, as well as other wildlife using a multi-pronged approach. This Kenyan charity operates an elephant orphanage and attempts to reduce poaching through front-line efforts on the ground in Kenya. Since then, I have volunteered for the Trust in Sudbury. 

Over the years, many of you have generously donated to the elephant orphanage. You signed the petition, promised to foster orphans on the Shelderick Wildlife Trust website, and purchased handmade Kenyan artisanal items to raise funds for DSWT.

I was very touched and encouraged by the enormous support and concern shown by the people in and around Sudbury, especially as I had not known what to expect when I first set up my small table at a festival.

This August, on my visit to my home country Kenya, I took all of Sudbury's donations that I had collected this past year and handed them in person to the David Shelderick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), who were delighted to learn of our community in Northern Ontario caring about African elephants and supporting the work of DSWT. 

I wish to thank all my fellow Sudburians for their generosity and hope that we will continue to support the DSWT in their effort to preserve one of East Africa’s most iconic, wonderful, and gentle species. 

Sajidha Bagha
Sudbury