Election of new officials

Virunga Community Programs held its annual general meeting on 30 May 2018. The main agenda of the meeting was election of new officials, since the term of the last officials had expired.

During the meeting held in its Goma headquarters, members elected new officials. The names of new officials are:

Chairman……………………Joseph Oindo

Organising Secretary………..Rachel Kanyiginya

Project Coordinator………… Francis of Assise N. Lima

Treasurer…………………….Paluku Lukusa

Project Mobilisation Officer.. Otieno Nondoh

Virunga Community Programs would like to thank the outgoing officials for their dedication in seeing that we achieve our objectives. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new officials to continue leading the organization to achieve its overall mission.

Rachel Kanyiginya

Organising Secretary

Virunga Community Programs

Mountain gorilla conservation efforts laudable

By Virunga Community Programs

When Popular American Comedian-turned-Presenter Ellen DeGeneres and herpartner, Portia De Rossi landed in Rwanda on 27 May 2018, they didn’t just come as an adventure tourist who wanted to trek the famous mountain gorillas. They came as part of a legacy that wants to save the primates.

 In her childhood, DeGeneres says she was an admirer of Dian Fossey. And she had always wanted to follow her footprints and settle in Africa to conserve the gorillas.

But now, she’s doing something different that will immortalize her role model, Dian Fossey. She came to oversee the construction of Ellen DeGeneres Campus that will support the conservation of the mountain gorillas.

The campus is dedicated to the late Dian Fossey’s work in Rwanda, and will be based in Musanze.
Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist who studied gorillas in Rwanda and the wider Virunga region from 1966 until her death in 1985.
The campus was a surprise gift presented to her by her husband on her “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” during her 60 birthday.
According to the information from the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the campus will help expand science, research and conservation activities, enhance educational programmes, and engage people from Rwanda and the rest of the world to join the conservation effort.
Its design will include laboratories, classrooms, meeting space, an interactive exhibit focusing on Fossey’s work, and housing for visiting researchers and students.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund was founded 50 years ago to ensure the survival of the mountain gorillas. According to information from the Fund, they work in four ways to achieve this: providing daily boots-on-the-ground protection to individual gorilla families, cutting-edge scientific study on the gorillas and their ecosystems, training the next generation of African conservationists, and helping with basic needs for people living near the gorillas’ habitats.

And their efforts appear to be bearing fruits, as the increasing population of the mountain gorilla shows. The Volcanoes National Park now has 20 gorilla families while the number in 2008 was a paltry 7 gorilla families. Rampant poaching of the mountain gorillas threatened the existence of these primates, and this even led to Dian Fossey’s mysterious murder.
In the mid 1990, there were only 320 mountain gorillas living in Rwanda. The population today is more than 640.

Even though tourism is an important source of revenue for Rwanda, the conservation of the mountain gorillas has seen the government very closely regulate it.  For instance, only a limited number of permits are available each day for visitors to trek to see the gorillas.
Tourism also pays for the protection not only of Volcanoes National Park but also the nation’s three other national parks. In addition, 10 percent of tourism money is shared with the local communities to improve the lives of those living near the parks. Thus, tourism is a very key component of conservation in Rwanda.

In 2017, gorilla trekking permit was hiked from $750 to $1,500 in further efforts to conserve the gorillas.Virunga Community Programs salute the efforts by Ellen DeGeneres, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Rwanda government to conserve these endangered primates. We would like further to stress that conservation efforts shouldn’t just be left in the hands of a few individuals and organizations. This should be a collaborative effort that should involve everyone

Granted, Virunga community programs are also doing its part ensuring the protection of the flora and fauna. We believe that when the community is involved in conservation efforts, then we are all going to succeed in our endeavors.According to John Murphy in an article titled “Does Community Involvement in Conservation Provide an Alternative to Fortress Conservation?”  that appeared in an online journal ALERT,  “over the last two decades one type of initiative in particular that has captured the imagination of conservationists has been based on the concept of incorporating the communities themselves into formal structures for regulating and managing wildlife and habitat. “
The Virunga Community Programs projects are involved in conservation efforts in the wider Virunga massif straddling Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Our programs include Conservation Education, Charity Work, Water Conservation, Field Study Education programs and Agroforestry Development among many others.

You too can be part of the wider conservation efforts. Let us all join hand to ensure that we preserve our nature at its pristine for now and our future generation.

Virunga Community Programs Linking Tourism, conservation and community development

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Virunga Community  Programs Linking Tourism, conservation and community development That tourism, conservation and community development are inextricably linked cannot be gainsaid. There are a number of tourism and conservation players around the Virunga mountains that understand the critical significance of integrated approach to development. It’s plain and has been proved, that without addressing the chronic needs of local people, then conservation efforts become extremely ineffective while on the other hand, people also lose critical natural resources and ultimately suffer negative consequences as a result of interfering with Mother Nature.

The Virunga Community Programs is an integrated model that’s motivating international and local conservationists, tourism players and the community to seek better ways of addressing this symbiotic relationship. You may as well say this model, through the programs they have initiated, is a way to inspire individuals to support change which benefits local communities, while protecting iconic but endangered species like the Mountain Gorillas.

In the Virungas, there are a number of small but dedicated individuals who are out to make a difference protecting the planet and empowering people. Their outstanding examples of innovative conservation efforts might inspire a new generation of environmentalists to mull over how to achieve their objectives with community development in mind.

Virunga Community Programs believe that interventions which improve livelihoods, health, and environment are critical since the quality of life of people depends on education, a good supply of water, good health, family planning, and tools to improve one’s own situation.

Virunga Community Programs understands that providing a safe sanctuary to endangered species of the Virunga National Parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC )  in particular and the Virunga massif straddling Rwanda, Uganda and DRC in general only addresses part of the problem. The organization conducts development work for local communities living around the protected areas alongside the Mountain Gorilla populations, and plays a critical role in mitigating human-wildlife conflict through educating people the ways they may peacefully coexist with, and even benefit from the animals.

There are many factors that lead to human-animal conflict. Among them is endemic poverty suffered by people around the parks. They see no value in protecting wildlife while they can monetarily benefit from them through rampant poaching.

However, through its programs, Virunga Community Programs seeks to empower the locals to be financially sustainable, while at the same time they help in conservation efforts. Such programs include facilitating education for the youth, donation of scholastic materials to school-going children, availing of small animals to vulnerable families, teaching locals on modern agroecology among a host of others.

Rangers and tour guides have continued to suffer at the hands of poachers and other shadowy elements. In the DRC, the ceaseless conflicts happening in the Eastern part of the country continues to wreak havoc on human life, leading to debilitating poverty. When a person is faced with poverty, engaging in destructive activities like poaching becomes an innate survival tactic. Children too are not going to school because of the disruption of normal learning. That’s why Virunga Community Programs saw to it that it initiates different programs to mitigate these issues affecting the tourism-rich Eastern part of DRC.

We believe that with your support, we are all going to succeed

www.virungaprograms.com

An upstart promoting tourism, conservation and community development around the Virunga massif

The Democratic Republic of Congo, found in the heart of Africa should be a rich country. It has minerals. It has wildlife. It has all that we would want in nature. DRC is a paradise on earth.

However, the DRC has unwanted history of conflict. Even now, the eastern part of DRC is steeped in endless wars that have become synonymous with the region, putting the lives of local people and economies at risk.

Activities like logging, bush meat hunting, cutting of trees, mineral and oil extraction all have direct impact on wildlife and forests. Conflicts, population growth, disease and inadequate wildlife and forest management capacity are among the factors worsening this grim situation.

But the most urgent problem that must be addressed is the deteriorating security in Eastern part of DRC. Even at this moment, theirs is major security concerns and dynamics of violence against civilians taking place in the region. The first and upmost priority should be to stop the violence. But it has been tried before and the violence rages on.

The second priority is helping those who are suffering from the effects of this conflict. Virunga community Programs is among organizations based in DRC that have tried to come up with solutions on how the local people, caught up in this violence can be helped.

After seeing all these issues, the Virunga Community Programs decided to initiate programs to help alleviate some of the problems.

The organization, based in Goma town, has come up with different programs to help the locals go on with their normal lives. These programs are in the areas of education, creating job opportunities, availing health insurance, water sanitation, counseling programs, peace programs, environmental and conservation programs, and tourism activities that benefit the local community.

The Virunga Community programs is deeply involved in job creation, since we believe that when people have jobs, and sustainable income, they have no excuse to take part in illegal activities like poaching and destruction of forests.

We involve and facilitate the locals in art, making of traditional handicrafts they sell to tourists, and also facilitate them to start small businesses.

Tourism in the eastern part of DRC has proven to be among the most effective ways of driving job creation and economic development to local communities. This sector not only contributes to uplifting the livelihoods of the locals but also increases access to transport and communication services. But if not managed properly, we believe that positive benefits of tourism are not going to benefit tourists.

Virunga Community Programs is your part of conservation efforts in the wider Virunga massif. You can partner with us in any way so that we not only help in community development, tourism, but also see to it that conservation efforts bear fruits

How we can help insecurity situation in eastern DRC

Recently, two British tourists among others were kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while touring the Virunga National Parks. The incidence led to the closure of Virunga National Park to tourists which threatens the future of the park.

About two months ago, according to The Guardian, five rangers and a driver were killed in an ambush in Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The park is home to the rare mountain gorillas.  

The Guardian report further says that more than 170 rangers have been killed in the park over the last 20 years.

The two recent incidences point to the worrying deteriorating security situation in the region.

The insecurity situation in the DRC has been a matter of international concern. The major problems that afflict the region are illegal mining, incessant conflicts, chronic poverty and deforestation.

But for how long can we let these go on? Who should play the part in bringing back sanity to this volatile region?

As Virunga Community Programs, we believe the solution relies on individual responsibility. We believe that if we initiate some sustainable income to the local community, part of the problems can be solved.

We believe that the first step to undertake is poverty alleviation and education. Virunga Community Programs have undertaken the responsibility to help the young generation to be educated on the role of conservation. That’s why we are supporting children around the protected areas  to get education that we believe will open up their minds to in future help in efforts to conserve our precious environment at its pristine nature.

We believe you too can be part of this project. We should all join hands to ensure that we protect the life of tourists and wildlife alike.

PLANNING FOR YOUR GORILLA ADVENTURE IN VIRUNGA

You can rely on tour operators like the Virunga Community Programs for year-round mountain gorilla trekking

The Virunga Mountains which straddle the borders of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda are home to about 480 mountain gorillas. This is more than half the world’s entire population of the primates (the rest are found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda).

The Rwandan part of the Virungas, in the Volcanoes National Park, 10 gorilla groups are habituated now for gorilla safaris. This is more than anywhere else in the world!

Planning for your gorilla adventure gorilla Rwanda

When to go gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking safaris may be done throughout the year. But the hiking itself may prove to be more difficult during the rainy seasons from April to May and in November.

When you want to do gorilla trekking, the most popular period is during the drier months, between December and February, and from around June to Mid-September.

Securing your permits for gorilla trekking

Securing permits for gorilla trekking during these popular periods may not be easy at short notice. Therefore, we advise you to plan. Virunga programs will make all the arrangements for purchasing your permits.

Permits for gorilla trekking

Each day, a maximum of 96 gorilla trekking is available. But note that as of May 6, 2017, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) increased the cost of gorilla permits from USD 750 to USD 1,500. According to RDB, the new price is aimed to strengthen conservation efforts and support local community’s development.

What it is like on a typical gorilla trekking safari

On the day of your gorilla trekking, you are going to set off very early in the morning to track the primates from the edge of the forest. Your guide or driver is going to guide you from your lodge (like the popular Red Rocks Rwanda or other places near the Volcanoes National Park) to the park headquarter which is found in Kinigi village. The guides speak excellent English, and are very good and experienced. They’ll be taking you to a particular group of ‘habituated’ mountain gorillas that they are quite familiar with, and are also used to human visitors.

You are going to be divided into groups of eight, and after some briefing on safety and gorilla etiquette, you are going to be driven to the start of the trail to reach your mountain gorilla trekking party. Your guide is then going to lead you along normally clear paths into the forest, in radio communication with the trackers which stay with the group so that they may be located. The altitude is above 2,500m, therefore even though the pace is unhurried, the hike may be tiring and may be steep in parts, taking between 30 minutes and a few hours.

Do not be surprised when you feel a bit breathless because of this altitude. It is perfectly normal!

Majority of trekkers are normally a little bit apprehensive- a large silverback gorilla may weigh up to 200kg. This is three times the weight of the average man.

However, this apprehension normally vanishes when you see and meet the gorilla group.  Sometimes the gorillas are going to be spread around some small area of dense vegetation.

They are going to continue with their normal feeding and interactions, not caring about the visitors, although they watch with some keen interest. Sometimes one, often a playful youngster, is going to approach you with curiosity, often coming so close that you are going to be forced to move away.

When you are with your group, you should try not to make sudden movements, and keep your voice low.

 

Photography on a Rwanda gorilla trekking safari

When you are a keen photographer, taking your own images of mountain gorillas is among the most magical photo sessions you are going to ever experience. Remember that the light may be poor in the rainforest and that using flash is not permitted.

www.virungaprograms.com

CONSERVATION EFFORT AROUND VIRUNGA MASSIF BEARING FRUITS

The Virunga massif, straddling Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the home to the fabled but endangered Mountain gorillas. It’s also a sanctuary for various species of wildlife and plants.

 That is why the governments of the three countries have made concerted efforts towards conservation here, since Virunga is the Holy Grail of tourism industry in this region.

In Rwanda, a special ceremony is always preserved in September for the gorilla families. This is the renowned Kwita Izina ceremony, where baby gorillas are “baptized” with new names, borrowing from Rwanda tradition of naming new arrivals of babies.

The Kwita Izina ceremony is attended by the top echelons of Rwanda government, and private sector players and always conspicuously present is Rwanda leader President Paul Kagame. The presence of the president is always a clear vindication of Rwanda’s concerted efforts to ensure that these endangered primates are protected. 

The Kwita Izina ceremony is carried out with conservation in mind. Names that are attributed to the baby gorillas play a critical role in the current programmes of monitoring every individual gorilla in not only their family but also their habitat in general. The event is a uniquely Rwanda event that was introduced in the year 2005 with the aim to create awareness on conservation efforts of these endangered primates.

The Rwanda government also initiated tourism revenue sharing where some percentage of the tourism dollar goes back to the local community to uplift local living standards.

Conservation efforts around the Virunga are not only the three governments’ responsibility. There are several Non-Governmental Organisations and private sector players that have pitched tent around the Virunga chains to ensure that the communities also actively take part in conservation.

 Such organizations include Virunga Community Programs.

Working closely with the governments and the locals, these organizations have initiated different programs to make sure that human-animal conflict and poaching around the protected areas are limited. The programs include involving the community in education about conservation, facilitating income generating programs to uplift the livelihoods of the locals to convince them away from poaching, and developing local talents in various fields so that the youth exploit their natural talents and do not engage in illegal activities.

The locals are helped to sell their products to visiting tourists as souvenirs while the some of the tourists also have actively participated in community and social development in areas like health and education through payment of school fees for children coming from vulnerable families.

The Virunga Community Program has developed different programs to ensure conservation efforts around the virunga massif are realized. These include involving the local community in tree planting around the Volcanoes National Parks, facilitating development of talents in art and sports and helping the vulnerable women gain from tourism through selling traditional products like handicrafts.

Encroachment on gorilla habitat range and ecosystems primarily by humans in search of land for agriculture, the Virunga regions is surrounded by heavy population densities thus many people depend on natural resources such as water, forests and plant species. Most of these resources are found in the park thus Virunga Community Programs say it’s relevant to enfranchise communities neighboring the gorilla habitats in form of equal economic opportunities so as to reduce the strain put on gorilla habitats.

In Uganda, the ongoing census being carried out in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is also seen as significant effort towards conservation of the mountain gorillas. The park in Uganda is habitat to about half of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas. However, habitat loss, poaching, disease and civil unrest all remain major threats to gorilla populations. Consequently, accurate population numbers are crucial to protect these endangered species.

The population trend of these primates in the park show interesting figures. For instance between 1959 and 1960, there was a gorilla population of between 400 and 500. But this number reduced drastically to between 260 and 290 gorillas between 1971 and 1973. The number dwindled further to between 252 and 285 gorillas between 1976 and 1978.

A census carried out in 1981 showed there were between 242 and 266 gorillas. This is a period when Uganda was steeped in political chaos. But the 1986 census shows that the population gradually started increasing, with the number of between 252 and 285 recorded.  1989 census recorded 324 gorillas while 2003 census also saw the number increase to 380 gorillas, presenting a 17% increase since 1989.

The last count that was carried out back in the year 2010 showed there were about 480 mountain gorillas that were living in the park, showing a 26.3% increase in total population since 2003, which presented  a 3.7% annual growth rate.

In the DRC, the killing of six rangers some two months ago sent shockwaves as far as conservation is concerned. The killing of wildlife protectors is not unprecedented. In December last year, poachers killed one lowland gorilla and five chimpanzees.

Even though the governments are making efforts to make sure rangers are protected, still they daily risk their lives to protect wildlife. Protecting the animals against poachers’ onslaught-where poachers are backed by organized crime syndicate needs highly trained and dedicated group of rangers. The rangers work in tough and dangerous conditions. 

To be effective in their duties, they require top-quality modern equipment, resources and training. These are critical not only to their own safety but also to their ability to effectively offer protection to animals.

All in all, conservation initiatives by the governments, NGOs and private sector players are crucial in conservation around the Virunga. These efforts have made the numbers of the mountain gorillas and other species of wildlife to exponentially rise, while poaching has been drastically reduced. It’s hoped that with conservation efforts, there’s still a lot of heritage to look forward to in the future.

Booking Gorilla Permit Discount in Rwanda and DRC

Booking Gorilla Permit Discount in Rwanda and DRC 

In May 2017, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced the increment of gorilla trekking fee from USD 750 to USD 1500 per person. The move, RDB, announced, was in line with its efforts to strengthen conservation efforts and contribute more to local communities living around the Volcanoes National Parks.

However, Rwanda also offers a 30% discounted price for tourists who visit the country to trek the gorillas during the low season. The low season in Rwanda is between the months of May and November. This means the tourists spend USD 1050 per person for each gorilla trek.

However, the discounted price comes with a caveat. For one to qualify for it, he or she should book for extra days or nights in other national parks of either Nyungwe Forest or the Akagera National Park.

  Nyungwe is among Africa’s oldest parks while Akagera National Park is tropical rainforest and now hosts the so called Big Five animals among many animal, plant and bird species.

Tourists also who stay pre or post-conference dates are also eligible for a discounted price of 15%.

In Uganda, the cost of gorilla trekking remains at USD 600. The gorilla trekking is a popular tourist attraction in Uganda, carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

In Congo, tourists who want to gorilla trek pay USD 400 while during the low season they pay a discounted fee of USD 200.

Tourists can trek the gorillas in DRC in Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega. All these fees are only for the permit. It’s better to book in advance for the gorilla permit, transport and accommodation through Virunga Community Programs.  The money is ploughed back to promote our conservation and community development programs around the Virunga massif. In addition safari sold, we send a child to school at Kisoro International Peoples College.

www.virungaprograms.com