Kilembe - floods and covid

In the heart of Africa, the Rwenzori Mountains a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are home to Bakonjo tribe who from the earliest days provided guiding and porter support to travellers, scientists and mountaineers wishing to explore the range .

In May 2020 some of the heaviest rains on record hit the Rwenzori and huge floods roared down the valleys. Bridges were swept away, as were schools, a hospital and many houses. At the same time the covid pandemic hit the communities hard as tourists stopped coming to the mountains.

John Hunwick has, with your help over the last few months, employed locals and rebuilt a health centre, mountain camps, bridges and trails. With a drop in tourism many locals have turned to poaching partly to feed their families and partly as the lack of rangers, visitors, guides and porters in the mountains have made their work easier. As a result many animals have been killed and the red forest duiker is now in danger of being wiped out in the Rwenzori.

Money donated will be used to buy materials and food to employ locals to continue rebuilding the tourist facilities and trails on the mountain, but also he has created an anti-poaching unit which includes to UWA rangers. These people have already destroyed 600 snares and arrested 2 poachers. We need $1200 per month to keep this unit operational.

Thank you for all donations to date - without them the situation here would have been disastrous - as it is a lot of good work has been done.