The new Nyagakenke School: Classrooms for conservation

For far too long, education in Nyagakenke meant mud floors, broken desks, and high dropout rates.

Now, however, the future is bright, not just for students, but for the whole community. In February, the Gorilla Organization celebrated a milestone in its community development work. Here, right on the edges of the Mgahinga National Park, a new school has brought new hope.

It is, remarked Bishop of Muhabura Diocese, the “best school in the whole region”. And it’s hard to disagree. The Bishop was joined at the official inauguration by Director Jillian Miller, as well as by representatives of That Gorilla Brand, who helped fund the school and other vital development projects across the wider district.

“We are so, so proud to open this new school,” Jillian said. “Seeing the enthusiasm for learning fills me with hope for the future. These children will be the best ambassadors Mgahinga’s mountain gorillas have ever had, and I can’t wait to see them lead the way in protecting this incredible place for generations to come.”

Educating and protecting
The Nyagakenke Village Primary School will be a classroom and a conservation project rolled into one, educating children and protecting gorillas at the same time. Students will learn about the endangered apes they live alongside, becoming advocates for their protection among the wider community.

The children are already busy planting trees and clearing litter to preserve fragile habitat. What’s more, for a community where poaching has too often been a means of survival, literacy offers a path to a future that doesn’t depend on destroying the forests or putting gorillas at risk.

A fundraising dream team
Leo and Casey from That Gorilla Brand are a driving force behind our community conservation work. Their five-year, 500,000 Euro “Adventures for a Cause” project not only helped fund the construction of this school, it’s also backing ten indigenous Batwa children through secondary school and expanding access to education across other parts of Africa and the developing world. Thank you!