Text : Yukako Niimi and Sophie Grouwels, Photos : Roberto Faidutti
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), a World Heritage Site, is situated in Southwest Uganda and hosts almost half of the world’s mountain gorilla population and 12 other threatened animal species. Before the establishment of BINP, the local community including the Batwa or pygmies, depended their livelihood on forest resources, but since entrance of the park became restricted, they have had to find alternative income generating activities.
Located at the entrance to BINP, the Buhoma Village Walk is the first community initiative in Uganda’s eco-tourism zone. The walk will give you a great insight to the traditional African way of life. Wandering through the village, you will be exposed to inspirational dances and songs, which describe the beauty and importance of the forests. Traditional medicine healers practice their ancient arts, prescribing cures for anything, from the common cold to male impotency ! And by the end of the walk you will also master the creation of different banana products in the middle of the banana plantation- from cultivating simple steam growing into a fruit to brewing a thirst quenching beer. The walk does include more, such as : a local women’s handicraft centre, a waterfall, tea plantations, a local school and bird watching in a community woodlot.
For the accommodation in Bwindi, Buhoma community also offers the Buhoma Community Camp, which was started as a means of providing alternative sources of income to the local community, by BINP authorities and Peace Corps.
Contact
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)
Buhoma Community Rest Camp.
P.O. Box 992 kabele, UGANDA.
Tel : +256-77-384965, +256-77-529081
Email : buhomacrc@yahoo.com
Internet : www.ucota.or.ug and
www.traveluganda.co.ug/buhoma-community
Reservations can be made upon arrival at Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Buhoma Community Developement Association.
P.O Box 992, Kabale, Uganda,
+256-312 100 060
+256-772 384 965
E-mail : bcda@buhomacommunity.co.ug
Web : http://www.buhomacommunity.com
Buhoma Community Rest Camp
P.O Box 992, Kabale, Uganda,
+256-312 100 060
+256-772 384 96
E-mail : bcrc@buhomacommunity.co.ug.
Buhoma Eco-Tours
P.O Box 992, Kabale, Uganda,
+256-312 100 060
+256-772 384 96
bet@buhomacommunity.co.ug.
Sophie Grouwels
Forestry Officer
Community-based Enterprise Development (CBED)
Room C-463
Tel : (39)06 570 55299
Email : Sophie.Grouwels@fao.org
Internet : www.fao.org/forestry
Project Description :
This village walk was started with the support of the FAO, the Food and Agricultural Organization of United Nations and the National Partner Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Conservation Trust, to assist sustainable development of community-based enterprises where local people are dependent on scarce or threatened environmental resources.
The project used FAO’s innovative Market Analysis and Development (MA&D) approach. This approach is a step-by-step process that provides community members with the ability to identify and develop viable and enterprises and manages them independently. MA&D takes into account four important aspects of sustainability (environment, market, social/institutional and technology) in supporting the development of viable and successful tree and forest product enterprises, and it assists communities in linking forest management and conservation activities to income generating opportunities. The MA&D approach in Uganda, therefore, aims to ensure that the alternative financial resources are environmentally, technically and socially sustainable for the community. Web page small-scale forest based enterprises :
http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/25491/en
Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Conservation Trust
At Bwindi, the project is implemented by a national non-governmental organization, the Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Conservation Trust (MBIFCT). The Trust was established in 1995 with the support of CARE, the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC) and the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP) with funds provided by USAID through the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). MBIFCT’s goal is to maintain the biodiversity and the ecosystem health of the park through community projects. Community projects provide grants and technical assistance to a community, group or individual for social development or business activities.
Through the Community-based Commercial Enterprise Project, MBIFCT aimed to address the needs of communities to increase their cash income since they can no longer depend on local industries based on resources within the park. The project sought options for reducing pressure on the Park through products directly or indirectly dependent on biodiversity in the Park. The increase in income from activity such as eco-tourism hopefully reduces pressure on the Park caused by other destructive income generation activities.