Noble Gorilla Foundation
Sustaining the habitats of mountain gorillas and the homes and hearts of Ugandan coffee communities
Noble Gorilla Foundation supports coffee communities and wildlife rangers who protect endangered gorillas in southwest Uganda. These gorilla highlands coffee farming communities border the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park, UNESCO-designated world gorilla habitats.
We are proud to carry out our mission with our partner, Gorilla Highlands Coffee. Previously, poaching and habitat destruction, both driven by poverty, were the root causes of declines in the gorilla population in southwest Uganda. Gorilla Highlands Coffee has been pivotal in reversing the decline. People who relied on poaching and harvesting crops and materials from the gorilla forest habitats are now part of the coffee social enterprise. With Foundation funding assistance, Gorilla Highlands Coffee helps them grow the best organic coffee, implements projects that benefit the communities, supports family-owned farms, and through these social projects, achieves our goal to help protect mountain gorillas.
A simple way to connect coffee communities and help gorillas is by buying their signature specialty coffee - available here. Being a part of coffee connecting our different communities is a win-win for all - coffee drinkers, farmers, and these iconic mountain gorillas.
Our Projects
Protectors of Mountain Gorillas
We work toward safeguarding mountain gorilla habitats. The Bwindi-Sarambwe mountain gorilla population has grown to 459. The global count now stands at 1,063 (UWA, 2019). We want to prevent killings like this of our noble gorillas.
Gorilla Highlands Coffee Clubs
Planting coffee trees at high schools is a way for young girls to learn sustainable farming within their communities. When harvesting arrives, the fruit of their labor is used to pay for higher education and university fees.
House of Bwindi Fashion and Crafts
Coffee is a seasonal harvest, which means half of the year there is no income for farmers. Our women are being trained in tailoring and craft skills as a means of supplementing their income, creating sustained and improved livelihoods.
Kawacare Health Program
We start with caring for our team members and ensuring they have health insurance and protection. Then we extend the program to all of our farmers. Providing access to modern medicines protects the habitats of gorillas as people won't need to forage for bush medicine.
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