Since our member "Gorillas" is very busy and often without Internet Access during his trips, I allow myself to post this introduction of the Eco-/ Conservation Projects of Rwanda Eco Tours on his behalf.

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Rwanda Eco Tours Conservation Projects

Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. In the communities surrounding the Park National des Volcans (PNV), the population density particularly high, creating enormous pressure on park resources. Threats on the park include encroachment in search for agricultural land, poaching of bush meat, honey collection leading to forest fires, water collection, bamboo cutting and baby gorilla trafficking among others.

Faced with the challenge of maintaining PNV under such immense pressure, the government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN), has developed initiatives to create conservation awareness among the local communities and encourage them to be involved in the park management. However, this does not solve the underlying problem of poverty, which is the driving force behind encroachment on park resources. Changing local people’s attitude towards conservation requires equitable benefit sharing for all community members in combination with flexibility to allow regulated access to much needed forest resources.

There are many opportunities at PNV that can help enact change. The most promising avenue is tourism, but to date the tourist business has benefited mainly the government and a handful of tour operators. By involving local communities and developing their informal sectors to engage in tourism enterprises, they will be able to increase income levels as a direct result of the mountain gorilla tourist market.

Project and Progress

Because of your support in traveling with Rwanda Eco-Tours, we have been fortunate to make a meaningful contribution to the local people’s welfare, as well as conservation of gorillas and their natural habitats in Rwanda. We contribute 20% of our profits back to local communities, as well as lending our personal time and efforts to help educate local people. We hope to continuously expand our contribution not only to Parc National des Volcan, but also to other parks in Rwanda facing similar problems. Our vision is to ensure that local people around national parks own the responsibility of protecting threatened and endangered species by virtue of directly sharing in the benefits realized through eco-tourism practices.

In partnership with local community members, we have identified improvement of household agricultural productivity through associations as a meaningful way to improve local community livelihoods neighboring PNV.

- As a result we founded and support the “Iteganyirize Association” composed of 27 members, most of whom are women. For the July 2006 Season, we donated to them 1000kg of Irish potato seeds (worth US$300).

- We have supported a local disabled artisan project in the town of Gisenyi with 5 sewing machines (worth US$750) to produce crafts that can be offered for sale into the tourist market at PNV.

- In partnership with the management of PNV and local communities, we founded and support three associations whose membership is comprised of 100 former poachers. With seed money of US$800, the three associations from Nyamirango, Gahinga and Muhabura villages have identified a project to plant 3000kg of high-breed Irish potatoes in order to improve their household agricultural productivity and income by taking a surplus to local markets. This supplemental income allows them to look after their families and take their children to school.

Results

Since July 2006, these projects have yielded incredible results

- community members have harvested triple the initial investment, with enough surplus to store and use for the next farming season

- provided an alternative source of food for local people, eliminating the need to poach bush meat

- enabled participants to sell surplus in order to buy necessities like soap, salt, etc.

- allowed children attend school with a full stomach and clear mind instead of working the fields

- provided a platform for us to share a positive and understandable conservation message with local communities

- created an incentive for local people to participate in conservation from which they see tangible benefits

Next steps

We need to move beyond self interest, towards guaranteeing a future for these natural resource whereby tourism not only takes, but gives back, allowing local communities to share in the benefits, not just suffer the cost of living next to the park. In this way we can guarantee a sustainable future for gorillas and their habitats.

There is more work to be done:

- Creating association networks in all sectors around the park that practice conservation and provide a wider conservation education platform.

- Continue monitoring and evaluation of project effectiveness in making an economic change for local families as well as identifying alternatives beyond agriculture.

- Initiate similar projects in other parks.

- 98% of the residents who live next to PNV have never seen gorillas in their habitat. We need to create a bond between local people and gorillas by taking them to see the gorillas face to face, so they can identify with their conservation efforts.

Rwanda Eco-Tours Agency,
Aigle Blanc House, Office No. 13, Boulevard de l'Umuganda, Kimihurura
P.O Box 6292
Kigali, Rwanda.
Email:info@rwandaecotours.com
Internet: www.rwandaecotours.com
Tel: (+250) 580228
Cell: (+250) 08517446
Fax: (+250) 580228

[URL=http://www.rwandaecotours.com]www.rwandaecotours.com[/URL]