Despite the recent and ongoing insecurity in eastern DR Congo, the status of gorillas in the wild remains largely stable.…
One year on, green shoots appear again
The people of Africa are resilient. And the communities of eastern DR Congo perhaps even more so. They know tragedy, and they know how to bounce back.
In May 2023, communities across the Kahele district were hit by huge floods and mudslides, triggered by days of torrential rain. The Gorilla Organization’s tree planting projects in Bushushu and Nyamukubi were literally washed away, with one worker losing his life in the tragedy.
One year on, and it’s back to business. Reforestation activities on these two sites have resumed and the on-site nurseries have been rehabilitated.
In the nurseries impacted by the mudslides, as well as at 18 other sites nearby, Henry Cirhuza and his team have already celebrated two planting seasons, with 250,000 saplings put in the ground per season. And the determination to get back growing is infectious.
Interest in the tree-planting project keeps rising as local communities come for the sustainable firewood and construction materials, keeping the gorilla habitat intact one tree at a time.
This story has been reprinted from Digit News Summer 2024. To download the full issue please click here.
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