Worth Rwf36 million, the houses are part of preparation of RDB’s yearly Gorilla naming ceremony (Kwita Izina) scheduled to take place on September 7th 2018 at Kinigi in Northern Province.
The campaign runs under the theme ‘Conservation is Life’
The houses unveiling ceremony took place at Kitabi Sector, Nyamagabe District.
The donation of the modern units, which will house 48 occupants including children, is the first community project of the Kwita Izina 2018 campaign.
It will be followed by another in Ndego Sector of Kayonza District on September 5th. Residents of Karambi and Sangano villages will receive a mobile clinic, solar lighting systems and solar water pumps.
According to RDB, the funding for the construction of the houses comes from the Revenue Sharing Programme.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Tourism Officer at RDB, Belise Kariza said the programmes funded by the Revenue Share Programme are about improving people’s lives.
“This project is one of a kind. It demonstrates our commitment to preserving biodiversity while contributing to improving the livelihoods of people living adjacent to our national parks and the overall development of the country,” she said.
Southern Province Governor, Marie-Rose Mureshyankwano noted that the provision of good housing is essential for the development families.
“Our future depends on the stability of family institutions and it is therefore important that we continue to protect the general welfare of families and especially our children,” she said.
In addition to the launch of the Kwita Izina community projects, the ‘Conversation on Conservation’ (CoC) forum will take place alongside an exhibition focused on conservation trends and practices on 4th and 5th September.
The Conservation Exhibition will bring together tourism and conservation partners from Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to showcase conservation efforts and avail educational materials to the general public.
The CoC will bring together global conservation leaders, providing a unique platform linking conservation with sustainable tourism by embracing all layers of the value chain.
Initiated in 2005 by the Government of Rwanda, the Revenue Share Programme aims to guide investment in the areas surrounding the various national parks in Rwanda in order to enhance awareness of importance of conservation to communities living around national parks.
Following a Cabinet decision in 2017, the funds available to support the revenue share programme increased from 5% to 10% of all tourism revenues in 2018.
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