Volcanoes Safaris has been at the forefront of reviving gorilla and chimpanzee conservation and tourism in Rwanda and Uganda for over twenty-five years.
In 2009, the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust (VSPT), a non-profit organisation, was established to connect Volcanoes Safaris lodges to neighbouring communities and conservation activities. VSPT aims to create long-term, sustainable projects that enrich the livelihoods of local communities and promote the conservation of the great apes.
VSPT is registered as a non-profit organisation in Uganda. VSPT is funded by a community fee from Volcanoes Safaris guests, by Volcanoes Safaris and other donations. The routine administration cost of VSPT is kept to a minimum as the background costs are covered by Volcanoes Safaris. VSPT is registered as a non-profit organisation in Uganda since 2009. Registration number 37536.
Find out more at volcanoessafaris.com/community/
Empowers Africa has partnered with Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust in order to provide a cost-effective solution to fundraising in the United States by acting as their fiscal sponsor. Any donations made here will be granted to Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust.
Empowers Africa uses Stripe to process credit card donations. Stripe has very stringent security rules which may lead to declined credit card transactions. If you are experiencing trouble processing your donation, kindly contact Nadia Derelieva at (917) 328-1611 or via email: nadia@empowersafrica.org
Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Campaigns
The Kyambura Research Center
The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust (VSPT) works in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to support the threatened chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge.
To safeguard the Kyambura chimp population for the long term, we aim to create a Chimpanzee monitoring project between VSPT, JGI and UWA. Full time researchers will be employed to conduct this research and monitoring.
- $500 provides school trips to Kyambura Research Center
- $1,000 supports three wildlife and guiding trainees for 3 months
- $2,500 provides the trainees with binoculars, cameras and guidebooks
- $5,000 contributes to salaries of the Chimpanzee Monitoring Project
- $10,000 will go to the building fund and allow the donor to be recognised as a benefactor on a prominently displayed donor wall
Additional naming opportunities available on request.
Bwindi Gorilla Conservation Center
Funding required up to $100,000
Bwindi Lodge, on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, has been at the forefront of gorilla ecotourism in the region for 25 years. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Bwindi Lodge, the Bwindi Gorilla Conservation Center will be built in 2025. The Bwindi Gorilla Conservation Center will be open to tourists and local communities.
Guests can learn about gorilla conservation and research in partnership with Volcanoes Safaris’ key conservation partners. There will be a regular series of visits of local schools, for children to learn about the park, gorillas, wildlife and conservation. There will also be workspace available for researchers based at Bwindi.
As part of the new center, on Main Street of Bwindi village there will be the Bwindi Community Centre, focusing on the link between gorilla conservation, ecotourism and communities. There will be a series of activities that focus on community livelihoods, including space for the Bwindi Women’s Craft Group, who will sell handmade traditional baskets.
A new wildlife and guiding program, will provide opportunities to local young people to take part in a 3-month guiding course, giving them an introduction to wildlife, conservation and guiding.
- $500 pays for one school trip to the new center and Bwindi Forest
- $1000 provides materials for the Bwindi Women’s Craft Group for 1 month
- $2,500 covers the cost of wildlife and guiding trainees for 3 months
- $5,000 supports three trainees in the Bwindi Community Café for 6 months
- $10,000 contributes to the building of Bwindi Gorilla Conservation Centre and allow the donor to be recognised as a benefactor on a prominently displayed donor wall.
Additional naming opportunities available upon request.
Bwindi Bar Youth Hospitality Training Program
Funding required $2,500
Bwindi Bar provides practical hospitality training for local disadvantaged youths living near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. For a contribution of $2,500 you can sponsor 4 trainees for a 3-month hospitality training program.
Read more about the Bwindi Bar Youth Hospitality Training Program
Gahinga Batwa Village
Funding required up to $130,000
In 1991 the Batwa, an indigenous community, were removed forcibly from the Mgahinga area to create a National park for gorillas. They became ‘conservation refugees’, living a marginal existence, without land, without rights. In 2018 VSPT built a permanent village for the 100 strong Batwa, together with a community centre and land for agricultural and recreational use.
$5,000 will support education for the Batwa community’s adults and children for one year.
$25,000 will provide medical support and adult education to all Batwa families in the village for one year.
$100,000 can purchase additional land to expand the village with up to 20 new homes for Batwa families.
Virunga Solar Power Project
Funding required up to $10,000
The project aims to provide access to electricity to local communities around Virunga Lodge. We have partnered with a company in Rwanda to supply solar panels to families around Virunga Lodge. Guests are invited to donate a solar panel to a family. A donation of $200 covers the cost of purchase and installation. With a contribution of $10,000 we can provide 50 homesteads with solar panels.
Kyambura Pangolin Monitoring Project
Funding required $5,000
In March 2024, a camera trap near Kyambura Gorge Lodge captured remarkable footage of a Giant Pangolin – the first recorded sighting of this species in the Kyambura Gorge to our knowledge.
The Kyambura Pangolin Monitoring Project aims to establish the first-ever census of pangolin around Kyambura Gorge. The census will engage the local communities to record pangolin activity to support the survey. We are reaching out to request support towards the launch of this important project.
$200 will purchase a camera trap to record census data.
$1000 will support the researcher’s field expenses during the 3-month census.
$5000 will cover all operational costs of the census and help develop a future pangolin conservation program in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kyambura Gorge Wildlife Buffer Zone
Funding required $160,000
Since 2009 VSPT has been purchasing land which borders Kyambura Gorge. This helps protect the threatened chimpanzees in the gorge and reduce human-wildlife conflict. VSPT has spent over $700,000 so far, purchasing land at fair market prices. This year we are aiming to increase the size of the buffer zone by twenty acres with an estimated cost of $160,000.
Kyambura Gorge Lion Monitoring
Funding required $50,000
In 2023, the Lion Monitoring Project was launched at Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Led by Dr Alexander Braczkowski, the project collects data for African lion, leopard and spotted hyena using a network of vehicles, and remote camera traps. This project aims to establish a science-based conservation program which supports the protection of Uganda’s carnivore populations and improves the livelihoods of local people living in and around the wildlife parks.
$3,000 supports two local field staff to work as part of the Lion Monitoring Team at Kyambura for one year.
$10,000 provides 100 camera traps for the annual survey.
$50,000 supports all operational costs of the annual carnivore survey and wildlife monitoring work by the team.
General Donations
If you do not have any specific project in mind and wish the organization to use their own discretion, please click here.
Donations can also be made by check or wire transfer:
Checks should be made out to “Empowers Africa” and should be mailed to:
Empowers Africa
2 Beekman Place, Ste. 18B
New York, NY 10022
www.empowersafrica.org
(917) 328-1611
Kindly note in the memo section of the check that funds are for Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust. Or email us at info@empowersafrica.org.
For wire transfer details or more information, please email us at info@empowersafrica.org.
Empowers Africa has been approved as a U.S. public charity, contributions to which are tax deductible for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Section 501(c)(3) [EIN: 32-0403737] of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Thank you for your support!