Culture

Limited Edition EIP T-Shirts Now Available!

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Limited-edition¬†Looptworks t-shirts are now available to the world! These babies made their world premiere at our¬†fundraising¬†bash in Portland, where they were a huge hit. ¬†We’ve got a few left though, so we wanted to make them available to everyone. ¬†They’re made totally out of upcycled excess materials and printed right here in PDX.

What we have left:

Women’s–M & L

Mens’–M, L, XL

How to get yours:

1.  Make a $20 donation to the Elephant Ivory Project.  Your donation helps to make our field work in Congo possible!

2.  Send an email to and mention that you made a donation.  Please include your shirt size and a shipping address.

Thanks!!!

The EIP Team

Help Build a Village, Win a Tent!

Monday, November 15th, 2010

We’ve been very focused on fundraising for Elephant Ivory Project over the last few months — and still are! — but we’re also happy to help out with other projects when we can. Passports With Purpose is one of those projects.

We think it’s important to travel with purpose; to be intentional about where you go and what you do, in turn giving you the chance to truly connect with a place and maybe even have a positive impact on it.

Passports With Purpose is built on the idea that “travel can change the world.” For the last two years, its founders and a whole lot of travel bloggers have put together their efforts to raise money for a good cause. Last year the initiative raised over $30,000 and built a school in rural Cambodia. This year they’re raising money for LAFTI, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the Dalit (untouchable) population in India. Raising $50,000 will allow LAFTI to build a whole village of homes.

Every $10 donation gets you a raffle ticket for a list of rocking prizes, we’re happy to be hosting a Zolo 3 tent from Sierra Designs. There are a whole lot of other prizes that you can check out here.

Build a village, save an elephant, do your part to make the world a better place!

The Elephant Ivory Project is an EP Films expedition, sponsored by National Geographic that will conduct field research in partnership with the Center for Conservation Biology and other appropriate organizations, aiding innovative elephant ivory forensics programs, and creating educational media to build public and political will to stop the illegal ivory trade. To learn more, please visit our home page.

Congolese Solidarity Through Music: Lopango ya Banka

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a complex place, and a country with a history of war and suffering; it is estimated that war, disease and malnutrition are killing 45,000 Congolese every month.

But in disparity there can still be hope, and music can be an excellent vehicle for finding it. Enter Lopango ya Banka (translation: House of the Ancestors), an initiative founded in 1997 in order to help Congolese children and teenagers learn more about the country of their origin. The main goal of the initiative is the development of an open political mindset and the maintenance of Congolese culture.

Read more »

Discover Music of the Congo: Les 4 Etoiles

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Once in awhile we need to lighten things up around here — which is why we like to bring you posts that take a look at the culture of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Here’s a quick look into some traditional Congolese music, by way of world renowned group 4 Etoiles playing live in Holland.

You can find more on the Nat Geo Music page devoted to Congolese artists.