The forest's future is in good hands
Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 2:59pm

My heart was touched today by Rwandan school children. They gathered today at Kinihira School near the edge of the Gishwati Forest in Rwanda’s Western Province. Most of these students go to schools without electricity or running water. Sometimes there’s not even water to wash their outdoor toilets. They sit, sometimes 70 or more in a classroom, on crude wooden benches behind wooden desks and learn their studies the way Americans might have 100 years ago – a teacher and a chalkboard.

One lesson they’ve learned this past year is an important one. It’s about conserving the Gishwati Forest – their forest, Rwanda’s forest. The message is clear – Gishwati, if left to grow, will prevent landslides, reduce flooding and provide cleaner drinking water. If Gishwati is allowed to grow – so will the local economy. And the 14 chimpanzees that live in this tiny pocket of Rwandan rain forest might just survive.

These children learned these lessons and today they became the teachers. The best and brightest from the surrounding schools met for a competition in poetry, song, dance and drama. The theme was one they created and simple like the message: Let’s combine our forces to conserve the Gishwati Forest Reserve.

For four hours they performed and informed, educated and enlightened the several thousand other students and villagers who took in this wonderful experience.

It was a special day in a special place. My heart was touched today by Rwandan school children.

Rwandan school girls sing about conserving the Gishwati Forest.
Scores of school children near Rwanda's Gishwati Forest performed today to stress the importance of conservation.		Conserving the Gishwati Forest was the message from Rwandan school children today in dance, song, poetry and drama. Scores of school children near Rwanda's Gishwati Forest performed today to stress the importance of conservation.
A young Rwandan girl enjoying the dancing and singing about the Gishwati Forest.