As a key economic driver in the area, Classic Gems has partnered with Hadithi Crafts to donate the baler twine used on the monorope winch waste removal system to the local women’s groups. Once the twine’s work is complete at the mining camp, rather than discard it, the materials are recycled as raw material for development top-notch handcrafted bags which the women sell to earn a living. The project currently supports over 1100 women from the arid Taita-Taveta county.
The donation of the baler twine also aids in conservation efforts in an area dominated by elephants and other wildlife. The provision of a sustainable economic alternative reduces the likelihood of the local community being involved in poaching and deforestation of the surrounding tree cover.