Agandi (hello everyone) The months are flying now as we race towards summer and the end of the year! August was Global Buddies maiden project in Uganda. A joint project between UTU Social Ventures and UCLA Semel Institute Global Center for Children & Families, Global Buddies organizes fantastic cultural exchange programs for families. After spending a week in Kampala, it was time to meet my group as we headed out to explore the south-western part of Uganda culminating in three fantastic days in Bwindi and an encounter with our closest relatives, the Great Apes. Along the way, the group of 10 trekked the chimps in Kyambura Gorge, explored the waterways of the Kazinga Channel and straddled the equator, yet nothing was to prepare them for their luck in Bwindi forest.  Buhoma Lodge is one of two lodges located within the actual rainforest. Apart from being my second home and our base, it’s also the home range of the Rushegura Gorilla family. (Who, if you have been keeping tabs, have been more in Congo the past few months than Uganda). As luck would have it, the Rushegura Group are back and spent the next three days relaxing in Buhoma’s back garden! It’s a rare treat to have them so close and even the kids, who were under age to trek got daily sightings of these incredible animals. Making new friends and sharing the beauty of Uganda with everyone has been for me unforgettable experience. Global Buddies run family projects throughout African and Asia. For more information on their journeys, visit www.globalbuddies.net Gorilla news: The Rushegura Group has remained in Bwindi and are being visited daily. A new baby was born to the group mid August. Their total is now 19 individuals. Tulabagane omwezi ogujja (see you next month)  |
 WHAT’S NEW IN BWINDI: The Batwa Cultural Presentation Centre The centre will teach the local children and tourists alike about the culture and methods which the Pygmies used when they still lived in Bwindi Forest. The project will be run by the elderly Pygmy ladies who will sleep at the centre to ensure that they are always on hand for visitors. They will replay life in the forest from preparing traditional food for visitors, rein-acting their hunting techniques, etc. It’s a great way of learning about life in the forest. 
* All pictures copyright Lisa Marsden |
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