Handmade AFRICAN "Elephant Hair" bracelet Kenya

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY HAS BELIEVED THAT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS THE ELEPHANT. IT IS BELIEVED THAT BY WEARING THESE BRACELETS YOU WILL BE PROSPEROUS AND HEALTHY AND NOT BECOME SICK OR POOR.

This is a genuine African "Elephant hair" style bracelet, hand made in Kenya. It is made of natural plant fiber (not real hair), which looks and feels exactly like the ones made of real elephant hair.....and no animal was killed or harmed for the material!  Using an ingenious system of woven knots, the bracelet adjusts from 2-1/4” to 3-1/4"(one size fits all).

THE STRANDS OF HAIR ARE BELIEVED TO REPRESENT VARIOUS ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE: HEALTH, WEALTH, LOVE, WELL BEING, HARMONY ETC. THE KNOTS REPRESENT THE HANDS OF GOD GUIDING THEM.

 This item is a  Fair Trade Product, purchased at a fair price to provide sustainable income to indigenous peoples. 

There was a time, in days past, that the native peoples of Africa would proudly wear clothing and ornaments taken from wild animals. They were worn as symbols, both of the pride of a successful hunt and from the respect and admiration man holds for all creatures. These animals were hunted not for sport or for trophies, but for food, for resources, and for the protection of family and tribe.

The clothing and ornaments worn by the African people were a means of representing the character and strength of the animals from which they were received so much....creatures whose strength and spirit they greatly admired.  

Times have changed and demand for wildlife trophies have driven an ever expanding market. The hunting of animals for sport and profit has decimated the once-thriving animal populations of Africa. Many species are on the verge of extinction.

Poaching is illegal in many African countries, and has been in Kenya for many years (poaching is defined by the authorities as the killing or injuring of any wild animal, OR unlawful possession of any part of its body whether the animal is now living or dead). In spite of efforts to protect the dwindling numbers of wildlife, thousands of elephants have been injured and killed by those who illegally trade in animal trophies.

Claims have been made that elephants are not hurt by the taking of their hair for ornaments, but there is an undeniable link between marketing endangered animal parts and the diminishing of that animal's numbers. If we buy products that are shed from the animal, those involved in feeding this market will naturally be encouraged to continue this onslaught.

These bracelets we are selling help to ensure a better future for the animals by employing renewable natural resources and providing subsistence to natives in lieu of destructive poaching.

He who rides the horse of greed at a gallop will pull it up at the door of shame (West Africa, Fulani)