About Us
The Great Lakes Region of Central Africa is one of the
most biodiverse areas on the continent, and includes
several national parks and natural reserves in Rwanda,
Congo DRC and Uganda. Despite their particular conservation
richness, these parks are under a number of pressures,
partly as a result of 12 years of conflict in the region.
During this conflict, many rangers lost their lives
in the battle to protect wildlife and habitat, leaving
behind widows and orphans. The homes of most of them
were looted during periods of insecurity. In spite of
difficult working and living conditions plus a lack
of equipment and financial resources to do their jobs,
the rangers remain highly committed, and have shown
great courage in opposing illegal activities.
Aim of the Association
The aim of "Solidarity Fund"
is to contribute to the conservation of the protected
areas in the Great Lakes region (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda
and Democratic Republic of Congo) through the recognition
of the human efforts and the encouragement of the key
actors of this conservation, that is, the staff working
in these protected areas.
Justification
For more than one decade, staff has
been committed to work in the conservation of the Protected
Areas (National parks) in spite of the difficult conditions
characterized by insecurity in the Great Lakes region
and the lack of material and financial resources. Unfortunately,
a good number among these workers lost their lives to
save the cause of conservation and left widows and orphans
in their families.
Worst of all, in spite of their sacrifice, these Protected
Areas have lost a portion of their area or deteriorated
seriously. However, their efforts raised a new political
awareness, which allows to hope for stability in these
protected areas. It is necessary to acknowledge and
support these efforts.
Solidarity Fund intends to play a catalyst role in the
recognition and the motivation of the human efforts
dedicated to the conservation of natural resources in
the region.
Moreover, despite insecurity prevailing
in the region, staff working in the conservation of
Protected Areas live and work in hard conditions. Their
daily work requires constant physical efforts to such
extent that when they retire and get exhausted, it is
almost difficult for them to undertake another activity
requiring additional physical efforts. Moreover, their
work requires that they live in remote areas where social
and economic opportunities are almost inaccessible.
The families of the guards have no access to social
infrastructure, to the markets, school access for their
children and access to adequate health care are not
easy, they do not have access to the bank credits and
other opportunities the government grants other citizens.
Moreover, AIDS has come to worsen an
existing dramatic situation. Staff working in the National
parks, guards in particular, are often sent to work
far from their families to organize patrols, this increases
the potential to get contaminated with AIDS.
Finally, staff working in the National
parks must collaborate with their neighbours in the
local community. However, the fact of protecting the
resources the community always covets often creates
a conflict situation. Solidarity fund will work hard
to reinforce partnership between staff working in the
parks and local communities to protect the natural resources
of these parks.
Objectives of the Solidarity Fund
- To promote emulation among staff working in conservation
of protected areas in the region for a well accomplished
work by granting Prices regularly to staff who have
performed better.
- To grant financial and material supports to the
projects of Park staff, staff widows associations,
former staff who have retired and assistance to staff
who have been contaminated with AIDS and their families.
- To promote projects aiming at promoting partnership
between staff working in the parks and the local communities
living near the park so as to protect natural resources
of these parks.
- To carry out a plea for capacity building of the
staff working in these protected areas in order to
empower them with sufficient knowledge to carry out
successfully their work.
- To create socio-economic conditions for the welfare
of the staff working in these protected areas and
local communities living near the park.
- To share experience with partners who have the
same aims or others who can provide or benefit from
this kind of experience.
Headquarters and Operation range of the Solidarity
Fund
Headquarter: Musanze District (Formerly
Ruhengeri), Rwanda
In the first time, Solidarity Fund is operating in
the following areas:
Rwanda:
- Volcanoes National park
- Nyungwe National park
- Akagera National park
Democratic Republic of Congo:
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