Community
Projects
Food security and improved livelihood for people are an important part of
sustaining forest habitats of the gorillas.
The future for all the inhabitants of this beautiful region, not just the mountain gorillas but the farmers and community members, depends on maintaining the balance, the dance, between the needs of people and the needs of earth's creatures.
We are working towards building a Center of Excellence, commemorating the memory of Rafiki and other gorillas that have lost their lives to poaching due to inequality and poverty conditions that drive people to poaching practices.
The Mwaro Rafiki Center of Excellence will provide
Model coffee farms - Nursery for growing vegetable seedlings for distribution to community members - Community center for women creating clothing and crafts - Coffee Roastery to create skilled jobs and lifetime careers in the coffee space.
More income from coffee = less need to venture into protected gorilla forest habitats for food or forest products.
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE SITE
AT MWARO
Drying racks constructed as part of the model farm.
Intercropping food crops - bananas- with coffee at the model farm.
Training center for coffee picking and processing.