January 16th, 2008
Published by Ben Beck

Some of the local villagers greeted us following our tour through the Gishwati Reserve - this was one of the most rewarding moments of our trip to Rwanda.

Editor’s note: Today, Great Ape Trust of Iowa Director of Conservation Dr. Benjamin Beck continues his 10-part blog on his recent trip to Rwanda. Beck, along with Great Ape Trust Founder and Chairman Ted Townsend, Communications Director Al Setka and Peter Clay, a senior orangutan caretaker, were in Rwanda from Nov. 28-Dec. 6 to begin the process to establish the Rwanda National Conservation Project with Earthpark and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, two other Iowa-based projects supported by Townsend.

As we descended into the gorge we had been joined by a group of five boys, aged about 8 to 15. They followed us silently. I asked (through Frank) if they would be able to find their way back. They smiled politely and said they could, without showing any judgment of the stupidity of my question. Of course they knew – this is their home! Like all rural African young people, they were intrigued by seeing their images on our digital cameras.

We asked our new young friends if they had seen the chimpanzees. They said yes, but that they hid from the apes because they were so big and strong. The oldest boy, Claude, mentioned that when the chimpanzees come out of the forest and climb into the hillside fields to steal corn, they use walking sticks.

I have a considerable interest in animal tool use, so I asked him if he had just heard this, or if he had actually seen it. He said he had seen it, and then offered a convincing imitation. I imitated Claude imitating the chimpanzees, and a bond was struck. Al interviewed the boys about their knowledge of the forest and its importance, and they were surprisingly conversant with ecosystem services and the importance of biodiversity conservation.

When we had to cross a stream on a log (something which I do not do gracefully), I asked Claude to carry my camera. Later I told him how he might make money carrying the equipment of scientists, or the accessories of ecotourists. Rwandan conservation will be in good hands if it becomes the responsibility of charming, knowledgeable and courteous young people like Claude and his friends. At the end of the journey, we gave them some sweets and Trust photo magnets. Al showed them how to stick magnets to the car, and later we realized that cooking pots might be the only suitable metal surface in their clay homes.

I was pleased to settle, exhausted, into the car for the return to Kigali, but as we rounded the first turn, we saw about 200 local people, in their finest clothes, waiting in the road. I asked Frank: “What is going on”? He answered with what I came to know as his delightful wry smile: “You said you wanted to meet the local people. Well, they are here to meet you.”

Peter, as he had done so frequently on the trip, drew on his cultural awareness and knowledge of French to break the ice. The deputy mayor then told the people that we had seen signs of cattle in the forest, and that it was their responsibility to make sure that cattle stayed out. If they did not, he would return and fine the owners. Frank explained who we were and generally what we were hoping to do. I clumsily, through Frank, thanked them for coming and told them we looked forward to working with them.

They asked questions about fair compensation for their land if it was taken for reforestation. Frank reminded them that it was not “their” land in all cases, but assured them that they would be fairly compensated. I don’t think these folks were convinced, and we probably did not make any real friends (except Claude and his pals, and the mayor and deputy mayor), but they did show up and we engaged with them. Probably the best we could hope for at this stage.

We returned that evening to Kigali, scrubbed our boots and had some laundry done.

Next: Education partnerships likely as project in Rwanda evolves