RWANDA GORILLAS NAMING GALA SET FOR JUNE 2009

Eighteen new baby born gorillas will be named at the function to be held on the foot of the virunga Mountains in Kinigi sector Musanze district. The gorilla party is expected to attract over 100 international guests  for gorilla safaris and over 24,000 Rwandans all thronging the foot of the virunga mountain gorilla’s world wide. Nineteen gorillas were initially to be named but one from Susa family was recently named Ejo Heza (bright future) by CNN,Ted Turner whose visit coincided with the birth of the baby gorilla.

 

We use Kwita Izina to showcase other good things in Rwanda said Ms Chantal Rosette Rugamba  Deputy CEO for tourism and conservation an arm of the Rwanda Development Board (RD

 

We shouldn’t get tired of Kwita Izina . It’s going to be there as long as gorilla gets born she added. This year will see the best primary school pupil among other guests name one of baby gorillas revealed Rugamba . Some people have been applying with their bio data attached explaining why they qualify to naming the gorillas but there are certain criteria to be followed when choosing the people to name the highly endangered animals. The theme for this year is Celebrating the international year of gorilla which is in recognition of the UN proclaiming 2009 as the international year of the gorilla.

 

While addressing the media in Kigali that this year Kwita Izina will use crying to entice the viewers rather than music used last year as it coincided with the world music day.

A Kwita Izina cycling competition is organized on June 14 between Kigali and musanze town attracting close to 80 cyclist from Rwanda Uganda Tanzania Kenya and Burundi  on the eve of Kwita izina the volcanoes National park and the Northern province authorities will host a gripping community party (Igitaramo)in kinigi packaged traditionally from drinks, food, dances and closing.

 

Kwiota Izina whose main objective is to raise awareness at the national and international level about protection of the mountain gorillas and their habitats was launched in 2005 and since then 85 baby gorillas have been named.

The event has collected close to US$2.4million and US$158,000 during 2006& respectively that has changed the lives of the communities near the parks in which five percent of the tourism revenues are injected into the community initiated projects like schools roads and hospital.

 

Tourism is still Rwanda’s number one foreign exchange earner with $209million raised last year from over 980, 577 visitors. However as the global financial crisis has hit the world cutting consumer spending this year Rwanda has maintained the same targets as last year. Mean while the first quarter results show that from January to march Rwanda received 120,809 visitors a 27% increase compared to 95,000in the same quarter of 2008 generating US$ 24 million compared to $ 22million in 2008 with an increase of 11%.

Compared to the first quarter of 2008 leisure visitors increased by 50% business by 26% and transits by 19% through the tour operators have been hit by the low turn up of the visitors limiting gorilla safari done in the whole year