EX POACHERS IN RWANDA BECOME PARK RANGERS

More than 550 former poachers in Rwanda have contributed a lot after reforming. They have been put in to 19 cooperatives under one association Amizero in the 12 regions surrounding the Volcanoes National Park to do tourism conservation activities, protect the mountain gorillas, practice agriculture,artcrafts,guard the park, build the park’s fence and participate in informing others against wild meat.

One of the ex poachers that started poaching  at 12 years said Rwanda Development Board  has helped them find different activities and a better way of living because before they used to live  like wild animals eating vegetables,fruits,meat from the forest.

The chief park warden said the system of changing ex poachers has started as part of an education operation to target special groups who are a threat to the mountain gorillas. The ex poachers have to be made part of the group involved in wildlife management, conservation activities and to introduce a revenue sharing scheme to make them associates.

In Kinigi at Ibyiwacu Cultural Village and in  Nyabigome village,expoachers  have engaged in traditional works like grinding stones, setting the king’s palace, iron works offering local beer to tourists and dancing.

The traditional activity of people that used to leave around the park a long time ago has been poaching because they used to rely on meat and could also exchange it for food crops with their friends.

Enoch Barora, a blacksmith at the Village, said they can now send their children to school, they do not hunt birds anymore, they have health insurance, drink clean water, put on shoes but the only problem they are facing are the stray animals that invade the land and destroy their crops.