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Funded by: The Members of ECOCLUB through the ECOCLUB.com Ecotourism Awards 2007 – Euros 300 so far

Summary: Creating an alternative means to local people around gorillas’ national park with an alternative livelihood that will

absent them from wildlife poaching and the degradation of mountain gorilla habitat.

Progress so far:

Several meetings were held among local communities about the award received and to arrange for the execution of the project.

During the meetings, communities identified different constraints and how to deal with them for the project to bear the targeted

profits. During the meeting the Chief Park Warden, Law enforcement and community conservation warden of the Parc National

des Volcans talked to communities and highlighted the need to work together and safe guard the endangered species; the

mountain gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei).

Community meeting with Edwin SABUHORO of Rwanda Eco-Tours, Chief Park Warden and Community Conservation

Warden of Parc National des Volcans at the park headquarters.

During the meeting, communities elected their leaders who will make a follow up and link the projects in all the communities

and make sure they all work and get the best results. Due to the fact that community associations identified in the project had

benefited from an earlier project with Rwanda Eco-tours, the following community member (ex-poachers) were selected to

benefit from the project; Sabyinyo: 120 community members, and Bisoke :108 community members who of recent put down

their poaching tools to become conservation volunteers. Given the positive effect this has had on community’s livelihood and

conservation, as evidenced by park wardens, communities decided to hold conservation education on the grass-root level to

inform other community members of their target after renouncing poaching habits.

Because of change of weather, communities have prepared their fields ready for September season and to harvest in November

2007. After this, the communities will buy Irish potatoes hybrid seeds for plantation.