After the colour, music and extraordinary energy of Kwita Izina, the following day brought something altogether different and equally extraordinary.
Sue and I, together with our son Euan, DelAgua’s CEO, who lives in Kigali, set off into Volcanoes National Park to meet a Mountain Gorilla family, and perhaps even Uruhembe who we had been given the honour of naming.
We were joined by fellow Kwita Izina namers Garreth and Nicola Wood. Garreth heads the Wood Foundation and co-founded Kids Operating Room. Also with us was Qatari Olympic champion high jumper Mutaz Barshim. They were delightful trekking companions and added enormously to what was already going to be a very special day. We were also fortunate to be briefed by Prosper Uwingeli, Chief Park Warden at Volcanoes National Park. Prosper is a fascinating man and a passionate conservationist. His knowledge of the park, its wildlife and the communities surrounding it gave us so many valuable insights.
Led by our expert guide Odile, the trek itself was a wonderful reminder that the gorillas are only one part of this remarkable landscape. As we climbed towards the forest, we made our way through fields of beautiful white daisies. They are, in fact, pyrethrum flowers – an important Rwandan agricultural export, grown largely by smallholder farmers and used to produce natural organic insecticides. It was another example of something I have come to appreciate deeply about Rwanda: the close relationship between the landscape, conservation and the livelihoods of the people who live within it.
And then, finally, we found the gorillas.
Nothing quite prepares you for being in the presence of a Mountain Gorilla family in the wild.
We had come, of course, hoping to see Uruhembe, but we were entering the world of the Mugoza family, headed by the magnificent silverback Marambo.
Marambo’s name means “hard worker.” True to his name, he spent much of the extraordinary hour we were allowed with the family being lovingly groomed by one of his females – and fast asleep. Around him, family life continued. To be allowed simply to sit and observe these extraordinary animals at such close quarters – their interactions, their expressions, the gentleness between them – was an enormous privilege.
The mountains had one more treat in store for us. As we descended from the forest and reached the cultivated land in the foothills, we came across Golden Monkeys foraging for potatoes. After the gorillas, it felt like an unexpected encore – and a wonderful way to end our time on the mountain.
We returned to Amakoro Songa Lodge, named for the volcanic rocks that characterise this extraordinary region. It was the perfect place to recuperate and reflect on what we had just experienced. There was a lovely symmetry to discovering that the lodge’s owner, Madame Rosette, whom we had the pleasure of meeting, was the woman who masterminded the creation of Kwita Izina 21 years ago. Rosette Chantal Mugamba pioneered Rwanda’s eco-tourism and is a renowned conservationist, another example of how Kwita Izina facilitates fascinating connections
From naming Uruhembe in front of thousands of people, to walking through the pyrethrum fields and into the forest to meet the Mountain Gorilla family, it had been quite an odyssey. Sue summed it up perfectly: It was the very definition of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The whole weekend felt like an extraordinary partnership and gift from the Government of Rwanda. To have been invited to participate in Kwita Izina was an exceptional honour and privilege. To then have the opportunity to enter the forest with my family and meet the Mugoza family made it unforgettable.
Uruhembe – “at the forefront.”
We will be following his story for many years to come.
