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Edwin Sabuhoro, a former National Park employee, founded Rwanda Eco-Tours in 2005, a jointly-operated organization. His motivation: To provide a sustainable liveli-hood that goes beyond preserving nature for the surrounding villages too.
For all too often, poverty forces poachers and hunters into the forest. Everything collected in the forest can be exchanged in the village for food.For the project of the „Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village“ Sabuhoro gained several hundred former poachers and hunters as employees. In this traditional village, traditional dance performances with regional music take place. This creates work and income. Tourists stop off on their way gorilla trekking and contribute to the preservation of the environment and of culture. The village belongs to the community and is organized and managed as a „cultural village“ by the village community.The project offers the former poachers and hunters a range of training opportunities, resources and alternative incomes. In the meantime, some have farm animals and forge their own plans to promote the local economy.
Many of them now work as porters or guides and accompany tourists to their trips for watching gorillas or golden monkeys.
