Our Guides
Muhisimbi Volunteer Guides currently consists of twenty-two local experts. Our guides are all educated in the local Muhisimbi Tourism Program. We live in Kinigi and are very happy to show you around our village and let you experience our way of life. We can offer you tours in both English and French.
Meet three of our Guides
My name is Emmanuel Hareriimana. I am 27 years old and born in Kinigi, at the very edge of the national park. My father was a poacher and our daily life relied on hunting. If no antelope or buffalo ended up in our snares, we were in for an empty night. Of course I used to help my father and soon I became a poacher too.
During the genocide in 1994, we fled into the jungle. To survive, we studied the Gorillas to figure out what plants we could eat. These mighty animals saved my life. During education I realized that conservation and eco-turism was the future for our community. I graduated and worked as a guide for 3,5 years before I was appointed the best guide in Rwanda by the Development Board in 2011. That’s when I founded Muhisimbi Volunteer Guides.
Together, we can express our passion for developing this community. I am very happy and grateful for the engagement from our members, partners, clients and authorities. Without you our efforts would be impossible.
My name is Jean Damascene Ndikubwimana. I was born in 1985 in Kinigi, Nyabigoma. I did my studies quite far from my village, 6 years at Nyemeramihigo college. I finished my studies in 2007 but there was no job for me after my graduation. For 4 years I was dependent on my family instead of supporting them.
But then Muhisimbi Volunteer Guides was created in 2011. My first benefit as a member was to meet other young adults and start to exchange ideas of how can we improve our community. After trainings and guiding experience, I got a chance to be selected as a Community Guide in Sacola. Through that experience I now got a new job in Karisoke Research Center as a Tracker of Mountain Gorillas.
Finally I can support my family and pay for my brother and sister’s school fees. I also plan to go to university. I am very grateful to our association and our collaborators who look for occupations for our members.
My name is Steeven Twizerimana. I am a member of Muhisimbi Volunteer Guides. I was jobless for 5 years but I am now very happy because I got a job through our association. Now I am a worker at Sacola which is a cultural centre for community tourism, infrastructure development and sustainable conservation.
I am a guide in community tourism, showing visitors how we live in the 21st century but also our rich historical heritage. I enjoy it very much and now I can help my family and pay school fees for my brother. I developed my life because of Muhisimbi Volunteer Guides. I do many times talk about conservation to friends and family and how we are so lucky to have the Mountain Gorillas as neighbors. May they live on forever.
I am a proud member of Muhisimbi Volunteer Guides and a good example of how great it is to be part of the association. I hope that we can assist many more unemployed youth to find work by gaining skills and education in guiding.
