Tshiaberimu

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Dec 21 2007 | By: admin

Ten Years of conservation with the communities

In october 2006, we celebrated 10 years of succesfull gorilla conservation at Tshiaberimu. When the project started, it was one of the first conservation programme to work with and enlist the support of the local communities and it became a pilot scheme upon which the Gorilla organization based its future gorilla conservation projects.Tshiaberimu conservation projects was proving to be a great success and so a year later, the Gorilla Organization rolled out community conservation projects in communities living near other gorilla habitats. Last week with our colleagues in Ruhengeri(Rwanda), Kisoro(Uganda) and Goma (DRC), we celebrated ten years of this success.At Tshiaberimu, about 300 persons attended the ten years ceremony with the Conservateur Kamate and Vhsosi who is in charge of communities problems. 30 irons were given to the Vusitoro community dispensary and 10 pigs to local chiefs
(on left)I was invited to the 100 years celebration of catholic tshiaberimu local communities(at right)
We feel so proud of the partnership that has emerged between gorilla conservation and the community, The project done so much to help people live independently of the forest and in harmony with the gorillas. 14 road members are paid regularity and the routes to Tshiaberimu are well maintained but we need to support other new road for 35km(forI will introduce you to the road menders in a later post); loads of seeds have been distributed to local families, the roofs of schools and dispensaries have been improved and the local people take part in monitoring the gorillas(there is one gorilla who leaves the park to live with the cows so it is important that we keep an eye on him). I will introduce you to this gorilla soon. 29th november was a day we devoted to celebrating all this success and collaboration.

Cassava produced by communities(photo in left), Local Chiefs involved in 2008 planning meeting( photo at right)and try to analyse how to monitor the gorilla out the park.

Thanks for all donors.

Jean Claude Kyungu