Partners

Rafiki is partnering with several non-profit organizations, nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations, internationally as well as locally.

INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS:

Sahaya International

Sahaya International, is a USA-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, founded in 1999 by UC Davis infectious disease researcher Dr. Koen Van Rompay. Sahaya International is 100% volunteer-based, and is a network of friends who volunteer their time to build awareness and support of healthcare, education, environmental and socio-economic grassroots programs in developing countries. Since its inception, Sahaya has channeled over 5 million dollars to worthy community-based programs in India, Vietnam, Uganda and Kenya. In 2020, Sahaya International learned about Rafiki, and is committing to help Mushamba forward his mission of being a change-maker to save the gorillas. For more information, visit www.sahaya.org, or watch the short documentary about the origin of Sahaya, Sahaya Going Beyond (narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons).

Photography Inspiring Children in Conservation (PICC)

PICC is a USA-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization working towards educating and empowering primate-habitat communities to support conservation. We provide locally-led workshops to inspire students and build capactity, and support children in becoming conservation leaders within their communities. In PICC programs, students gain knowledge about primate ecology, and conservation issues and solutions while also learning skills in photography, illustration, and storytelling for future conservation-based employment. We are supporting Mushamba in his efforts to empower the Buhoma students and plan to cunduct a PICC workshop in the near future. For more info on PICC, visit https://photographyinspiringconservation.org/

Omotani Caring Foundation 

The Omotani Caring Foundation is a USA – based 501 (c) 3 charity that provides support for the Bwindi Plus School for orphans in Uganda.  During the Covid pandemic it has provided food and soap to the school, Batwa families, porters, and other needy families in the Bwindi region.  New primary goals of the OCF are to support the Batwa families with a new farm project and the local porter associations with a project to learn bee keeping hives for honey and raise chickens for eggs. For more information, visit www.omotanicaringfoundation.com.

LOCAL PARTNERS (in Buhoma/Bwindi area):

  • Women in Gorilla Conservation

    • This program was started in 2020 by Robinah Gangiriba, and has currently more than 50 members. They are all women of underprivileged backgrounds
    • They make handicrafts (baskets, clothing, and other items) and also perform music/dance/drama.
    • Click here to learn more.

  • Batwa Housing Scheme

    • This is a new program that provides simple homes to families at several Batwa communities.
    • A webpage will soon be constructed.
    • You can already donate towards this program by going to our donation webpage and assigning your donation to Batwa Housing Scheme.

  • Bwindi Plus Nursery and Primary School:

    • Founded in 2015 by Agaba Moses.
    • Provides education to approximately 300 orphan students from underprivileged backgrounds.
    • Has a vegetable farm and goat-rearing project to provide better nutrition to the children.
    • Plans for the future include a construction of a dormitory, purchase of land and construction of high school, and expansion of the farming project.
    • Click here to see their facebook page.; click here to visit the website.

 

  • Joint Efforts for Green Mountain Initiative (JEGMI):

    • Founded in 2019 by Twinamasiko Luke.
    • Our ultimate goal is to establish an environment where humans and nature are in harmony.
    • JEFGMI implements a number of development initiatives in conservation, health, and education, income generating projects for livelihood improvement, water and sanitation to community members adjacent to the Bwindi Impenetrable National park.
    • Provides local communities with emergency supplies during COVID lockdown.
    • Click here to learn more on how you can support JEGMI with building wells for communities at Bwindi! So far they have built 27 spring water wells, 41 public water taps using piped water, and 4 rain water harvesting tanks.
    • Click here for their website, or click here to follow them on Facebook.

 

  • Community Initiatives for Biodiversity Conservation (CIBIC):

    • Founded in 2012 by  Mr. Tusingwire John Bosco.
    • CIBIC is a local NGO working to create harmony among people living in park edge communities through climate-smart sustainable agriculture as source of food and income, as opposed to poaching
    • Click here for their website, and click here to follow them on Facebook.

 

  • Girls Skill Development Center:

    • Founded by Musinguzi Denis.
    • Provides vocational skill-training on tailoring, weaving and basket-making to women and girls from underprivileged backgrounds.
    • Click here to follow them on Facebook.
    • Visit their website at https://www.bwindi4women.org/

  • Bwindi Buhoma United Reformed Poachers Initiative (BBURPI):

    • Founded by Byarugaba Robert.
    • Works on reforming poachers and providing them with other sustainable and conservation-promoting income-generating activities.
    • Contact us at: Info ‘at’ reformedpoachersbwindi.com.
    • Click here for more information: www.reformedpoachersbwindi.com

  • Bwindi Batwa Farms:

    • Founded by Tumwebaze Calvin and Tweheyo Robert
    • Works with Batwa communities to support them with sustainable and eco-friendly farming.
    • Click here for more information.

 

  • Bwindi Local Woodcarvers Association

 

  • Bwindi Vulnerable and Orphan Children’s Support Project (BVOCSP)

    • Bwindi vulnerable and orphan children’s support project is a non-profit and non-government children’s charity that was started in 2018 September by a group of educationists, including Nicholas Ampeire, after realizing the hardest lifestyle that the orphan, needy, disabled and other less fortunate children were passing through.
      We now support about 85 children, aged 2-14 years, both boys and girls. Of these 45 are now already in school.
    • Supports vulnerable children and orphans in the Buhoma area.
    • For more info, please visit:
    • For questions, please contact Nicholas at ampeire55nicholas ‘at’ gmail.com

  • Bwindi Buhoma Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Centre (BBOVCC)

    • Was founded by Habasa Benedict, Ngabirano Ronald and Akampirura Justus
    • Supports vulnerable children and orphans in the Buhoma area. There are currently 89 children in the program, 9 of whom have sponsors, while 80 are still looking for a sponsor.
    • If you like to donate, go to our donation page and select BBOVCC.
    • For more info, visit https://bwindiorphanage.org

  • Bwindi Community Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s Centre  (BCOVCC)

    • Was started in 2014 by Niwagaba Simeon and Atwijukyire Daniel as a Community Based Organisation (CBO) and later in 2018 registered as an official Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
    • Both are passionate to bring a remarkable change to the orphans and marginalized children at Bwindi, by lifting up and restoring their lives and hopes through education, empowerment, shelter and clothing. For small villages & communities that rely on tourism, the impact of COVID has been disastrous, and thus, we are in urgent needs to cope with the extra financial challenges.
    • Our objectives are to support education, life-skill building, awareness on HIV/AIDS, and environmental conservation to benefit both the wildlife of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the well-being of the communities.
    • Some of our current activities are:
      • 10 children are sponsored (7 children at primary level + 3 children at tertiary institutions).
      • 5 children advanced to primary seven amidst lack of school fees and scholastic support.
      • Children receive training in entertainment (Music, Dance & Drama), sports, art (such as gorilla woodcarving), further explorations of talents, and moral and spiritual development, and vocational trainings (done at the children’s temporary center, school and churches).
    • Our targets:
      • To start up an orphanage home to accommodate 140 children
      • To develop income generating and training activities to strengthen & support their families.
      • To raise enough financial and material resources for the running cost of the charity.
      • To construct an orphanage school in order to combat high illiteracy levels with the vulnerable children in the community.
      • To at least have 80 children sponsored by 2025
    • You can support a specific child, or provide general donations that will be used to meet the most urgent needs of children in our program (including school fees, nutrition, medical expenses). To donate, go to our donation page and select BCOVC.
    • For more info, visit www.bwindiorphangecentre.org, or contact us at bwindicomm.orphansv “at” yahoo.com
Simeon Nagawaba (center) with beneficiaries of BCOVC).

Harbert Foundation Uganda

    • Was founded by Musnguzi Habert and registered in January 2023.
    • Support a number of programs focused on helping underprivileged children, including orphans
    • For more information, click here.

(click on each picture to see a larger version)