Mary Kay Inc has announced its partnership with The Nature Conservancy to protect the critically endangered species of hawksbill sea turtles through the fostering of female-led ecotourism in the Solomon Islands.
Mary Kay Asia Pacific President, KK Chua said in a statement: “We hope our investment in this program will help us prove the needed balance between ecological health and economic prosperity, helping local people and wildlife thrive together.”
Via this collaboration, Mary Kay will support the skills development of a local women’s group, KAWAKI, facilitating food safety and personal hygiene training, critical for the launch of Solomon’s first women-led eco-tourism venture, located in the remote Arnavon Islands.
The hawksbill is a species of turtle primarily threatened by poaching and habitat loss—specifically, the loss of nesting beaches due to coastal erosion driven by storms and sea-level rise.
Tourism is a major development priority for the Solomon Islands, and with a growing number of tourists visiting the Arnavons each year, provincial authorities have identified the area as a prime opportunity for niche eco-tourism that can help lift communities out of poverty and provide the needed resources for effective turtle conservation.
Mary Kay’s support of this project will be two-fold: strengthen local turtle conservation efforts and help both The Nature Conservancy and the KAWAKI women’s group create viable, equitable and sustainable livelihood opportunities through the provision of critical health and safety training for local communities in charge of protecting the endangered hawksbill turtle.
Sources: BERNAMA