At Go Eat Give, we believe that every trip can be configured to be more meaningful and luxurious. No matter where you decide to go in the world, you can find ways to help support the local community through tourism. This is more evident in Uganda, than any other place I have recently visited. In a developing country like Uganda, where average daily income is close to $2.50/ a day, tourism creates a source of income and opportunities to fund social enterprises.
I found great examples of this throughout Uganda, but especially in Bwindi. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one of the most visited tourist sites in Uganda as it is a gateway for mountain gorilla trekking. But the community of Buhoma in Bwindi greatly benefits from this wildlife conservation activity.
Find out different ways you can support the local community in Bwindi during your visit.
Gorilla Trekking
There are only three countries in the world where you can see mountain gorillas in the wild. These are Rwanda (crowded and expensive), DRC (unstable to visit right now), and Uganda. In fact, Uganda has more number of gorillas that are habitualized, meaning safe for visitors to come close to. Habitualization is a multi-year process during which park rangers trek mountains and spend time around the gorillas, so they are comfortable seeing humans.
There are also multiple sites in Uganda where you can track gorillas. Bwindi is the largest one, issuing up to 60 permits each day. The permits cost $800 per person, and the fee is split between the government and the community. Aside from that, you also have to tip guides, rangers and porters. I also went for a gorilla trek in Gahinga, which is more intimate.
Gorilla trekking is not just a bucket list item for tourists, it helps support the local community. Because of the gorilla-related businesses, Ugandans have realized the importance of conservation. They are now not encroaching on wildlife habitats, cutting trees, and poaching animals. As a result, the gorilla population has increased significantly in recent years.
So, you should go for a gorilla trek. Pay the hefty park entry fees. Stay at a nice lodge and shop for local gifts. And even if you don’t need porters to help you carry your bags or help trek through the steep, slippery forests, get one, or two. You will thank me later! Most of the porters are farmers and homemakers who volunteer up to three times a month to trek with travelers. They make the hike much easier and you also support the community.
Conservation Through Public Health Center
If you are more interested in learning about the different ways of how gorilla conservation goes hand-in-hand with the community of Bwindi, visit the Conservation Through Public Health center. Located in a picturesque hill top, you will not only have some of the most amazing views of the forest, but get a chance to meet real life gorilla doctors! They work with rangers to collect gorilla poop samples to examine their health conditions.
The organization mobilizes volunteers throughout the rural communities in Uganda to teach locals about wildlife interaction, health, vaccination, safe water, employment and education.
Founder, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka is one of the first female trained veterinarians in Uganda. She has even written a book about her work with mountain gorillas and speaks at global platforms.
Ride 4 A Woman
I went to visit Ride 4 a Woman to shop for gifts and souvenirs to bring back home. But when I started talking to the founder, Evelyn Habasa, I was moved by her story and everything she has done for the community. Evelyn was one of eight girls of a single mother in a remote village in Uganda. But through education, she forced her way out of poverty. After working at another NGO, she returned to Bwindi and started renting out bikes to tourists and organizing bike tours for them. Then she bought a sowing machines and started making quilts. As her desire to help others expanded, she purchased more sowing machines, taught other women how to sow, and today employs 300 women from surrounding villages. These women, who are often struggling with poverty, domestic violence, and HIV, walk up to an hour to come to the Ride 4 A Women shop and earn fair wages, get free meals, and dignity to support themselves and their families. Evelyn also provides micro finance loans for them to purchasing sowing machines for home, cattle, plants and home-based businesses.
Today, the large campus is a boutique hotel, gift shop, activity center, and a volunteer and tourism spot. This is the best place in Bwindi to shop for crafts, baskets, clothing, napkins, yoga mat covers, table runners, and much more. You can also place special orders and they can make you whatever you need during your stay in Bwindi. And if you want to place a larger order for holiday gifts and special occasions, they will even ship the products to your door.
Bwindi Tea
It’s hard to think that a commodity like tea can help improve lives. But tea has proven to be a very useful buffer crop when planted between forest areas with protected wildlife, and local human communities. Animals do not eat tea so feel no need to come out of the forest to “crop raid” which is the source of much human-wildlife conflict in areas around National Parks.
Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge’s nonprofit VSPT set up a tea processing cooperative at the lodge. They train and employ locals to grow, harvest and process tea at the lodge’s tea gardens. When you visit Bwindi, you can take a tea tour where you can walk through the gardens and learn about how tea is traditionally processed in Uganda. You will also learn the difference between black, green and white teas and get a chance to sample them. Finally, take some Bwindi Tea back home for your friends.
Bwindi Bar
Hospitality is one of the easiest ways to generate income. And the award-winning Bwindi Bar has created just that. You will find this no-frills, local bar on one of Buhoma’s main streets. It is easily accessible from the Bwindi National Park and most lodges, but set within the community. Here you can enjoy a well deserved signature Gorillini cocktail after your trek, as well as Ugandan bites, tea and coffee. You can also watch a Rolex making demonstration. It’s not a watch, but a delicious omelette and roti wrap!
Founded by VSPT, Bwindi Bar provides hospitality training to young disadvantaged youth from the neighboring communities. This is the first practical training ground for those who want to enter the hospitality work industry. After gaining skills on communication, service, confidence, hygiene, etc., they go on to work at luxury lodges and restaurants across the country.
Can’t go to Uganda right now? You can still make a direct donation to VSPT online and support some of these projects.
Cheers to giving back when you travel!
