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As part of Karibu Rwanda's corporate social responsibility, we promote safaris that incorporate a visit to Iby'Iwacu village an innovative way of giving back to the community around the gorilla trekking areas of Ruhengeri. Iby'Iwacu village is the brainchild of Rwanda Ecotours's Edwin Sabuhoro.The project is a responsible travel component of Rwanda Ecotour's operations, aimed at benefitting the local community while at the same time assisting to conserve nature and natural resources around the parks for generations to come. Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, is an eco- concept that entails what gorilla trekkers have been missing, a place where people, culture and meet to appreciate the wonders of nature while meeting the history where the traditions still runs the modern world. The village concept offers visitors the opportunity to interact with the local populace and an appreciation of the experience of local ways of living.
With a replica kings house/palace the second of its kind in the country, Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village also incorporates a community walk to experience the local ways of living, one of the many factors that makes it authentic.
Meeting the traditional healer and how he treats the village with his herbal medicine and learning from him and how he has a remedy for almost all diseases in the village is fascinating.
Grinding millet and sorghum on the local grinding stone, pounding a couple of food stuffs in a motor is what leaves visitors to the village in awe.
Cycling a local bicycle around the village
Shooting the arrows with Batwa (pygmies) one of the many fascinating experiences as Munyarukiko, one of the village elders explains how they used to poach wildlife and now benefitting immensely from it.
Visitors to the village also witness first hand how communities make local fire using wood, a rare chance that takes visitors back memory lane of how our ancestors used to live.
As the traditional Intore dancers, all of whom have been active poachers for centuries share their amazing traditional dance, drumming sounds clapped with gorilla sounds brings close what human and wildlife miss in their search for inter-dependence.
Youth poachers are trained in arts and crafts skills, women In knitting and men share their stories. while visitors intermingle with the locals tasting the famous local banana beer , an awesome experience not to be missed and to savour for a long time.
Other visitors take a hands-on approach through participation in different community activities, participating In harvesting potatoes, fetching water, collecting firewood and cooking a meal.
Visiting a local church, school, clinic etc,
Talking to local elders and leaders, etc
All this is aimed at helping people to help themselves- community empowerment.
each visitor to the village pays US $30 for all the activities in the cultural village, which all goes to the village fund. 40% goes directly to community members who do these activities , while 60% goes to the village fund which their committees’ decide how to invest the money. To this end a number of projects have been undertaken, including but not limited to paying health insurance for families, buying high-breed seeds for agriculture, sponsoring children and buying scholastic materials, developing small scale businesses, not only to enhance food security and more importantly to start enterprises and income generating activities that are direct benefits from tourism and be part of the conservation efforts aimed at saving the endangered species In their neighbourhood.
This is a rare opportunity for tourists to visit the village while contributing to the local economy in a way that sustains efforts to conserve nature and natural resources for generations.
Following this great effort, poaching is reducing, community conservation scouts born and an education message disseminated among their community. We believe the village is a fascinating experience with a variety of cultural experiences on offer, and perhaps the best way to get to know the local people, their ways of living, their culture, traditions and history.
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