These beautiful, practical and hardwearing boxes are made at Lewa Downs in Kenya by local tribesmen. They have brass fittings and a leather covered base so you can stack them easily without them slipping or scratching.
Please read the blurb below to discover more.
Environmental
One of the priorities of The Shot Box is that no trees are felled to produce any of our boxes.
Acacia wood has a beautiful grain and is one of the few un-endangered hardwoods in the world.
Acacia trees are the beautiful "umbrella trees" of Africa, a favourite food for elephants who strip off the bark and knock the trees over to reach the uppermost branches.
Lewa Downs has the craftsmen to utilize this plentiful natural resource. The eco-friendly method of gathering only trees that died by natural causes ensures that this resource is not threatened. Lewa Downs also has a regeneration scheme whereby acacia trees as well as many other species of flora are sustained and enhanced.
On a larger scale, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Project is the pivotal centre of wildlife conservation excellence in Africa.
The catalyst for the project was that in 1994, the Craig family dedicated their 50,000 acre ranch to the conservation of wildlife. Through partnerships with communities, Government and the goodwill of many individuals, the work at Lewa now extends well beyond its boundaries with a conservation area in excess of 130,000 acres.
Lewa Downs has seen a massive growth of over 300% in 'principal animal' numbers between the 1977 and 2001 animal census. Within this list are 23 species including elephant numbers which have gone from 62 to 150, cheetah from 4 to 21, but probably the most impressive is the rhino, where numbers have gone from 0 in 1977 to 61 today including 31 black rhino. This has been achieved through re-introduction, a very successful breeding program and the elimination of poaching.
Lewa is also home to 20% of the world population of the endangered Grevy’s zebra.
Employment and education
Local Samburu tribesmen gather the dead wood on their land, while Meru and Kikuyu woodworkers are the artisans - the result is eco-friendly, high quality and intricately crafted boxes with antique appeal.
The workshop employs about 50 local people in one of the poorest regions of Kenya.
The employees of the workshop enjoy a wage which is five times the average for the area. They also benefit from a structured community education and health system which has been born out of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Project.
Lewa has pioneered a model, now being used throughout East Africa, of combining community development with the protection of wildlife.
All the profits from the workshop are returned to the community.
Your requirements
We are creating new designs all of the time and welcome the challenge of custom orders so if you have always wanted a particular item, but never been able to find the right one, here is your opportunity to become the designer...
Bespoke pieces can be ordered/supplied. All pieces are individual and unique.
We can also make leather covered items. The leather is from local Boran cattle and unusual markings add to the character, including the traditional branding marks sometimes seen in the final leather pieces.
Prices exclude distribution.
We reserve the right to alter prices and to alter the stock carried without prior notification.
Prices are correct at time of publication.
Dimensions are approximate