Renner in Rwanda (Part 5)
October 11, 2011
Written by Dr. Michael J. Renner, Drake University
As we left Gishwati today, we visited the Kovakaro craft cooperative. The Gishwati Area Conservation Program directed by Great Ape Trust has supported the work of these women as they have made the commitment to making a living without harming the forest and developed sustainable sources for their materials. Using the grasses of the nearby countryside, they make traditional baskets and other handcrafted items; the work is beautiful. If ecotourism can begin at Gishwati, the visitors who come to see the forest will also have the opportunity to learn about Rwandan crafts and take home items made by people they have met.
On the ride down from the mountains, we passed many reminders of the paradox that is Rwanda today. Often, at the same time, we could see people (including small children) carrying heavy jugs to the homes and villages that have no running water as well as the access points for the fiber optic cables that have already been laid along the rocky dirt road. Rwanda is moving fast, but not everything moves at the same speed. Our day ended in Gisenyi, at the GACP office.
There is meaningful scientific work to be done at Gishwati forest. The problem of crop raiding has vexed conservation projects in many places; if we are able to design workable prevention and mitigation strategies it would make a real contribution to the eventual success of the project. The information I have gathered on this trip lays the groundwork for designing tests of those strategies, and it has been time well spent for me. I believe that there can also be rich experiences here for Drake students, contributing to their education as global citizens and giving them the opportunity to play a significant role in a project that matters.
Tomorrow I will catch the bus to Kigali and the flight back to the United States. I am sad to be leaving, but eager to see my family and continue planning my part in the work to conserve Gishwati forest and devise immersive international experiences for the students at Drake.
- Renner in Rwanda (Part 1)
- Renner in Rwanda (Part 2)
- Renner in Rwanda (Part 3)
- Renner in Rwanda (Part 4)
