Gorilla

Here’s Odlion (a member of the GO team) and Dr Eddy checking on the gorillas

Hi, this is Tuver,

As I’m sure you know, the last few months have been tough here for us in DR Congo. Fighting and general instability made it hard for us to carry on working as normal – which is why I’ve not updated this blog for a little while…

But, the good news is that, while times were certainly hard, we never lost sight of our mission, to protect our cousins, the gorillas, and their natural habitat. In fact, right at the end of last year, our colleagues at Mount Tshiaberimu were able to welcome Dr Eddy from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP). The manager of the Gorilla Organization’s project here, Jean-Claude, showed him around the mountain and took him to see the small, but vital, population of eastern lowland gorillas living in this part of the Virungas.

Dr Eddy was also able to see some of our other work. For example, Jean-Claude showed him the education and community development projects that will play a vital role in ensuring these precious gorillas have a long-term future.

Mount Tshiaberimu is rarely free from trouble, but the team here are always alert and are dedicated to carrying on with their work, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Hopefully, with visits from leading figures in the conservation movement such as Dr Eddy, our voice will be even louder as we shout for greater protection for this isolated population of gorillas.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the recent visit that Jean-Claude sent over to me. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest news from here in DR Congo, hopefully more regularly now that the worst of the insecurity seems to have passed.

A happy new year to all our supporters, wherever you are in the world…

And here’s the team of brave, dedicated rangers who took Dr Eddy to the gorillas

Hi, this is Sam,

As I’m sure you know, the past couple of weeks have been very difficult indeed for everyone here at the Gorilla Organization, but especially for our colleagues in Goma. Here at the Kisoro Resource Centre in Uganda, we have seen a steady stream of refugees pass our windows as they flee the insecurity across the border.

But this is nothing compared to what our colleagues in DR Congo have seen and heard. They were quite literally scared for their lives – as well as for the lives of their families – when the M23 rebel group took Goma towards the end of last month. While the rebels captured the city (relatively) peacefully, there was still fighting, with rockets fired into the city from higher ground and soldiers from both sides out in force on the streets.

Now, though the M23 soldiers have left Goma itself, still the fear and uncertainty remains. How long will this fragile peace last? When will we be able to work free from fear? For now, we can do little more than wait and see how the situation develops. Fortunately, even at the Goma Resource Centre, our vital work is continuing, though, as I’m sure you can appreciate, not at full capacity. I look forward to writing to you again soon with better news.

Here I am, managing to speak with the President about gorillas!

Hi, this is Tuver,

As many of you may know, through my regular radio shows, I try and spread the message of gorilla conservation to tens of thousands of people here in DR Congo. Without doubt, this is vitally important if we are to make sure our children and our children’s children are able to enjoy a world with gorillas in it.

But, as well as reaching those people living right alongside the forests where the gorillas live, like those communities situated on the edge of the Virunga National Park, it’s also important that politicians have an understanding of just how precious gorillas are.

That’s why, when I was fortunate enough to meet the President of DR Congo, Joseph Kabila I talked to him about gorillas and what needs to be done to protect them. Mr Kabila was visiting the North Kivu Province pavilion at a special exhibition held in the capital, Kinshasa, recently when I spoke with him. Encouragingly, he expressed an appreciation of our country’s natural richness and praised the efforts being made by conservationists working in the North Kivu region, including those working so hard to protect the mountain gorillas.

Though it was only a brief chat – as you can imagine, the President is a busy man! – I hope my message got through. Now, back to my radio shows….

Hi, this is Tuver,

Eastern DR Congo is rarely peaceful. However, insecurity in the region has not been as bad as it is right now for some time.

As you may have read in the news or heard on the radio, fighting recently broke out around the edges of the Virunga National Park. Rebels, some of them under the command of General Bosco Ntaganda – who you may know by his nickname ‘The Terminator’ – have been fighting against the Congolese army. While they had been brought into the regular army back in 2009, they have broken away again.

As I write, fighting between the army, who have the support of the UN, and the various militia of the rebels, is continuing just a few miles from the area of the park where the mountain gorillas live. According to our colleagues working in the Virunga National Park, missiles have been fired into the park in an attempt to flush the rebels out of the forest and tragically, one national park ranger was killed after his patrol was ambushed while carrying out their important work.

Unsurprisingly, this new insecurity has caused widespread panic among the communities living right alongside the park. Here in Goma, hundreds of people are arriving every day, fleeing from the fighting and seeking protection in the city. As a result of this rise in displaced peoples, I have seen the prices in the local markets go up over the past few days. Also, people are having to sleep in churches and even schools, meaning children’s education is being disrupted.

I can tell you that, so far, the mountain gorillas have been unharmed, though I’m sure they must have heard the gunfire. However, some of the rangers who usually protect the gorillas are unable to carry out their routine patrols, so it’s a very worrying time for us.

I’m sure you’ll understand that I don’t have any pictures to share with you as it’s just too dangerous to go near to where the fighting is right now. I’ll be sure to let you know if there are any major developments, but all we can do right now is sit tight and hope the fighting ends soon.

The equipment was checked over thoroughly by our resident Solar Sister

Hi, this is Tuver,

So, after months of planning, fundraising and worries, it’s finally happened. Our incredible Solar Sisters have brought electricity to their home villages!

If you’ve been following this remarkable story, then you’ll know that just a few weeks ago, we got a special delivery of high-tech equipment for the Solar Sisters – a special team of ladies who recently spent six months at the Barefoot College in India learning how to become solar power engineers. And you’ll also know that both myself and my colleagues had a stressful time taking delivery of the equipment and getting it released from the customs people here in Goma.

But was all this trouble worth it? You bet it was! The excitement that the arrival of the equipment into the village of Rusayo caused is something that I’ll never forget. Fortunately, as you can see from these pictures, our resident Solar Sister in this village kept a cool head and got to work almost right away, checking the components and getting the panels fitted to the selected homes.

Now, I know I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating; this will make a massive difference to many people’s lives. For example, now that they can switch on an electric light, children here in Rusayo will be able to study after it’s gone dark, and their parents will be able to work past dusk, too, giving them more opportunity to raise money. And let’s not forget that, since they’ll have a reliable source of power for the first time ever, the villagers here will be much less reliant on the resources of the neighbouring national park, which is great news for the gorillas living there!

So, here are a few more pictures I took on that special day in Rusayo village. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the difference the electricity is making here…

The men of the village help unload the heavy solar power equipment from the trucks

And then the ladies get to work installing the solar panels!

Here's Langa, eating as usual! Isn't he magnificent?

Hi, this is Tuver,

Well, firstly, sorry to have left it so long since my last post! The good news is the reason for this is that the Gorilla Organization team here in Goma has been incredibly busy, working together with our amazing Solar Sisters to get solar equipment installed in the small, rural village of Rusayo. I will write a little more about this exciting development in the next couple of days.

For now, I just want to share this picture my friend Dominique, who works at the Kahuzi Biega National Park sent to me a few days ago. This is the silverback Langa. Isn’t he incredible? What’s even more exciting that just this one picture is the news that the Langa gorilla group has now been habituated. This means that, thanks to the patient work of rangers and trackers, they are now unfazed by humans. We hope that tourists will soon be able to visit them, with this helping raise some vital funds which can be used to protect gorillas, as well as other endangered species.

So, if you do visit Kahuzi Biega anytime soon, be sure to say hello to Dominque and, if you see him, say hello to Langa as well!

Moyoni, one of the Solar Sisters, was delighted to receive her new equipment

Hi, this is Tuver,

As Henry explained last week, we’ve just taken delivery of the equipment our Solar Sisters need to bring power to their villages for the first time. As you can imagine, things are more than a little hectic here right now, but everybody is so excited, not least the ladies themselves who are itching to put the skills they learned over in India to good use.

As you can see from these latest pictures, news of our work is spreading across Africa. Over the past few days, I’ve spoken to the national and regional media about what this delivery will mean to some of the poorest villages in this part of Africa. As I explained to them, by having a reliable source of electricity, people will be able to work and study for longer, allowing them to earn more money that they can spend on food and education. It’s also very good news indeed for the gorillas living alongside these villages as they will be left in peace now that people will no longer have to enter the national park for food and fuel.

So, here are a few pictures from the past couple of days. Just look how excited the ladies are. As Henry said, we’ll do our best to keep you up to date with the project, and on behalf of us all and the ladies themselves, I’d like to thank you for your generous support, without which none of this would be possible…

Here's Moyoni again, checking out the equipment she will use to bring power to her home village

Here's Henry helping unload the solar power equipment from the lorry

News of the delivery travelled fast. Here I am talking to the reporters about the project!

Here I am welcoming the delivery of the equipment for our incredible Solar Sisters

Hi, this is Henry,

I am writing with some very happy news from here in Goma.

As you may recall, at the end of 2010, the Gorilla Organization sent five Congolese grandmothers over to the Barefoot College in India. Here, despite the fact that all but one of them is illiterate and none of them had ever set foot outside of their home villages before, they trained to become solar power engineers.

Well, now they are back home and about to get the equipment they need to bring electricity to their villages for the very first time! As you can see from the picture below, I personally went along to welcome the lorry carrying $100,000 worth of solar power technology to Goma.

Once it’s been released by customs, we’ll get to work distributing it to our ‘Solar Sisters’, and they will then get busy bringing renewable power to their home communities. By having a reliable source of electricity for the first time, people living in these tiny villages will be able to work and study for longer, easing the burden of poverty and meaning they will be steadily less reliant on the forests that they live alongside, thereby leaving giving the endangered gorillas here the space and peace they need to thrive. How’s that for a good start to 2012?

Of course, I’ll be sure to keep you updated as the Solar Sisters get to work, so watch this space!

The new equipment means the Solar Sisters will be able to put their skills to use

Lava is shooting hundreds of metres into the air right next to the gorillas' home

Hi, this is Tuver,

We’re used to volcanic eruptions in this part of DR Congo. After all, we live in the shadow of eight active volcanoes, seven of them situated within the borders of the Virunga National Park. As such, once it became apparent that the current eruption of Mount Nyamulagira wouldn’t lead to a repeat of 2002, when lava from neighbouring Nyiragongo flowed into Goma and destroyed thousands of homes as well as our old Resource Centre, people just got on with their lives.

Thankfully, just as we’re used to the volcanoes, so too are the gorillas. They’ve been hearing rumblings all their lives, so this latest eruption, even though it’s only happening around ten miles away from the closest groups, is not causing them much alarm.

In fact, the eruption could be good news for wildlife here. Tourists are flocking to this side of the National Park to get a good view of the lava. This means they’re spending money here, benefitting communities and enhancing DR Congo’s reputation as a tourist destination.

Here are a few photos I managed to take of Mount Nyiragongo over the past few days…

The power of the volcano really is something to behold

Gorillas are living just a few miles from where the lava is flowing, but they are safe

I’ve just got back to Goma after going to Kampala to attend the Gorilla Organization’s annual strategy meeting. As always, it was great to catch up with my colleagues from other countries and talk about how our respective projects are helping transform communities and safeguard gorillas. It’s really inspiring to see everyone working towards a common goal and to see how your generous support is helping make a real difference in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.

Joined by our director Jillian Miller, we began the meeting discussing what we have achieved over the past 12 months and it was clear from listening to my colleagues that our conservation and poverty reduction projects have continued to meet, and in some cases even exceed, their targets.

We also talked about our plans for the year ahead. We are hoping to implement more than 20 projects across the three countries in 2012, all of them geared towards helping both the gorillas and the people who live alongside their forest home. Activities supported will include beekeeping in Kisoro, Uganda, conservation radio programmes in Goma, DR Congo and agricultural training in Rwanda.

It’ll certainly be a busy, and hopefully a highly-productive, year! I look forward to keeping you updated with news on our work here in Africa and thank you for your ongoing support.