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Raising money through my love for baking to support wildlife conservation efforts across the world.

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2016 Bake Sale Wrap-Up

All donations are being processed through our Grevy's Zebra Trust partner, the Houston Zoo. All donations made via this link will attributed to Sophie's fundraising efforts.

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About Me

My name is Sophie Kalmin. I'm a 12 year old in 7th grade at The Emery/Weiner School in Houston, Texas. I have a passion for two things: saving endangered animals from extinction and baking crowd-pleasing desserts! In 2014 I discovered a way to bring my two loves together. I had a bake sale which raised $1,000 for the Houston Zoo's conservation fund. In 2015, at my second bake sale I was able to double the proceeds, totaling $2,025 which benefited the International Rhino Foundation.

Because of my past fundraising accomplishments and the wonderful support I have received, I have been inspired to hold a third bake sale in 2016, this time benefiting the Grevy's Zebra Conservation in Kenya. My goal is to raise $6,000 for this worthwhile cause.

WHY GREVY'S ZEBRA CONSERVATION?

Having seen the Grevy's Zebras at White Oak prior to attending the Saving Wildlife Expo this summer and hearing about all of the amazing things Belinda, Peter, and the Grevy's Zebra Conservation do to protect the zebra population in Africa, I was immediately drawn to the cause and couldn't wait to see what I could do to help!

WHERE MY DONATION WILL GO:

The money I send to Grevy's Zebra Conservation will be used for their work in El Barta, a remote area where Grevy’s zebra are poached for their meat. They are working with 16 Grevy’s Zebra Ambassadors employed from the local communities, including those that eat Grevy’s zebra. This team is trained in anti-poaching, community outreach, and they have mediation skills which enable them to resolve conflict around conservation.

The program is managed by Rikapo, who has worked in Grevy’s zebra conservation since 2003. He won the Disney Conservation Hero Award in 2009 for his dedication to Grevy’s zebra.

2016 Goals

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He is a truly wonderful person, and I hope that one day I will get to meet him. The money I raise will help him purchase a new motorbike. He needs the bike because the Ambassadors are very spread out and he has to move between their locations to give them support and also make sure they are collecting their data well. His current motorbike is over 12 years old! That is a long life for a bike that has to deal with the terrain of northern Kenya (it is all off-road driving), and the reason it has survived this long is because Rikapo is very good at looking after his equipment. It is now breaking down frequently and costing a lot of money to repair so it’s time to finally replace it.

Grevy's Zebra Conservation has had a very big impact in the region and I want to help ensure they can continue to provide a conservation presence. Being mobile is essential because it enables Rikapo to maintain constant contact with the communities they work with and foster a wider intelligence and support network for addressing poaching.

UPDATE: THANK-YOU LETTER FROM BELINDA LOW:

"Dear Sophie, Amy, Murray and Barbara From all of us at Grevy's Zebra Trust - THANK YOU Sophie for your conservation passion and your amazing fundraising efforts! We hope you enjoy this video from the Grevy's Zebra Ambassadors and Rikapo who work tirelessly to protect Grevy's zebra and other wildlife from poaching, raise conservation awareness, and build peace in their communities. When I told them you had raised funding for their work they were amazed and inspired! It was very powerful. We are extremely grateful to have been allocated the full amount of $10,495, which we have just received through the Wildlife Conservation Network, so we will be able to go ahead and purchase the motorbike in the new year. Very exciting! I would like to put the balance of the funds towards supporting the Ambassadors to continue their security patrols. Please let me know whether you are happy with that choice. Thanks also to Amy, Murray and Barbara who I know supported you throughout this effort. Peter had such a great time with you all! I look forward to updating you in the new year when we get the bike. In the meantime, a very happy holidays to all of you! Warmest wishes from all of us here Belinda"