Giant Hearts, Giant Impact | HERD’s Gratitude Blog

Here at HERD, we are constantly humbled and inspired by the generosity of others. It is because of the compassion and support of people around the world that we are able to continue our work of taking care of the Jabulani elephant herd and the environment they live in, and contributing to the community that surrounds us. Each act of kindness serves as a reminder that there is so much good in the world and that we are all capable of making a positive difference.

In this blog post, we highlight some of the recent contributions that have had a significant impact on our organisation. We are incredibly grateful for every single one of these contributions. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Ongoing Ele-Champions

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all our followers, friends, donors, foster parents, and supporters for your continuous support every month! You are amazing and we are so grateful for your support and we’re so happy to have you on this beautiful journey with us!

Essential Daily Operations

Thank you to Liz at GIFT OF THE GIVERS FOUNDATION for donating boxes of various medical supplies and gloves for the elephant orphanage.

Thank you to IZINDLOVU FUND for donating funds towards three new cooler backpacks for Khanyisa’s milk bottles. The carers use these bags daily to deliver the milk bottles to Khanyisa in the field.

Special Projects

Thank you to Nita and the amazing team at WARRIORS FOR AFRICA’S WILDLIFE for their generous donation of another 60 Little Mhambi’s for HERD to sell. Little Mhambi’s are sold in our online shop, with all proceeds going towards HERD Trust to help the elephants.

Thank you to IZINDLOVU FUND for donating the funds received for the sale of three limited edition bronze sculptures. The sculptures were made by the French artist François Vandenberghe and are sold exclusively by the Cafmeyer Gallery.

Community Development Projects

A big thank you to NTT TOYOTA HOEDSPRUIT for their continuous support in donating 50% of the costs for the Nkosi nutritional bars each month. Nkosi Superbars are handed out three times a week to learners in Grade 1 at the Mpisi Primary School.

A huge thank you to FREIGHT CARE LOGISTICS for their ongoing support in ensuring that the Nkosi Superbars are delivered to the Mpisi Primary School learners every month. Freight Care Logistics donates towards the monthly courier cost from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit for all the Nkosi Superbar boxes!

Special thank you to Bennedicter Benica Hlongos from BENICA FRUITS & VEGGIES in Acornhoek. Bennedicter donated 420 okra seedlings to HERD. The seedlings were planted in Mpisi Primary School’s vegetable garden that is used to feed the learners during lunch times.

Carer Shoe Drive

Thank you to everyone who donated towards our carer shoe campaign and purchased a pair of shoes for each carer:

• The Perfect World Foundation
• C Berger
• H Brinie
• E Booth
• P Cooper
• D Ebright
• S Fastnaught
• T Fredericks
• M Gross
• T Hamilton
• C Hugo
• R Johns
• M Kohn
• J Lacher
• S Larson
• K Lindlan
• P Linton
• E Lund
• M Petrario
• M Rounsavall
• A Roux
• H Skutack
• L Smith
• E Tyler
• M Vollborn
• J Wegmueller
• H Werner
• E Winston
• E Zack

Thank you to JIM GREEN for supplying us with the best AR8 Ranger Shoes for the carers at a discounted rate.

Carer Phone Drive

Thank you to everyone who donated phones for the carers to use to take footage of the elephants in the bush. We received phones from all over the world! Unfortunately we don’t have the names of each person who donated a phone, but we are so incredibly grateful for your generosity!

Our carer cam drive is still ongoing, as we need more phones to be able to give one phone to each carer. The phones will give the carers the opportunity to learn a new skill and will allow them to contribute to the capturing of the elephants’ lives.

You can still donate an iPhone to:

Unit 1 Waterkloof Forum
374 Milner Street
Waterkloof
Pretoria
0181

Special Donations

Monetary donations provide us with the necessary resources to carry out our work in all its forms, from elephant care and environmental conservation, to community outreach and scientific research. The following donors made exceptional donations during the months of December, January, February, and March:

• B Curci
• M De Klerk
• D Ebright
• Elephants Alive
• J Frazier
• B Ghenne
• M Gross
• T Hamilton
• D Maree
• S Simpson
• L Trang

Special Wishlist Donations

Our wishlist contains items that we currently need, such as medication, food for the elephants, and other essential supplies. Donors can donate an item on our wishlist by covering the cost of the item. The following people donated an exceptional number of wishlist items during the months of December, January, February, and March:

• J Gould, who donated 200kg pellets, 15 bales of lucerne, 25kg skimmed milk powder, and a high pressure washer.
• A Holmberg, who donated 15 bales of lucerne and two new milk bottles.
• R Rowland, who donated 21kg sweet potatoes, 20kg pellets, 7.5kg apples, 5 bales of lucerne, 2.5 litres colloidal silver, diesel for our generator, and many other items.

Elephant and Sheep Adoptions

The donations we receive through elephant adoptions contribute to the day-to-day care of the elephants and sheep. By adopting an elephant or sheep, foster parents help us to provide them with nutritious food, medical care, and an environment where they can be safe and happy. The following donors made significant contributions to the care of the elephants and sheep by becoming Silver, Gold, or Platinum foster parents during the months of December, January, February, and March:

• Y Cai, who adopted Jabulani in honour of X Ding.
• C Dollon, who adopted Khanyisa, Sebakwe, Setombe, and Nungu.
• A Don, who adopted Bubi in honour of M Don.
• E Hagerman, who adopted Khanyisa.
• M Hoffman, who adopted Limpopo.
• A Holmberg, who adopted Sebakwe.
• M Loebel, who adopted Fishan in honour of L Loebel.
• T Lorey, who adopted Jabulani.
• S Krol, who adopted Khanyisa in honour of C Krol.
• C Medley, who adopted Fishan.
• T Mischenko, who adopted Khanyisa.
• K Norton, who adopted Bubi in honour of E Norton.
• A O’Brien, who adopted Lundi.
• R Sullivan, who adopted Mambo in honour of R Sullivan, D Sullivan, N Sullivan, S Sullivan, B Sullivan, and A Sullivan.
• IC van Grunsven, who adopted Khanyisa.
• J van Schalkwyk, who adopted Limpopo.
• P Wiemer, who adopted Jabulani in honour of A Klein.
• K Youngberg, who adopted Kumbura.
• H Zeev, who adopted Klaserie in honour of R Agassi.

Thank you once again to everyone who has supported us in big or small ways. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us to look after the elephants and do what we do!

Note: If your name appears in this blog and you would like for us to remove or change it, please contact us at social@herd.org.za.