Pollinators

Pollinators: A Community Conservation & Education Program in Rwanda

Pollinators is Rwagasabo Safaris’ community conservation and education program in Rwanda, supporting community-based tourism projects — including handicrafts, beekeeping, and coffee farming — while protecting and restoring native wildflower and traditional medicinal plant species across the country. The program works with local communities in the Muhazi Lake Buffer Zone (Gasabo and Rwamagana Districts) and the Akagera River catchment (Bugesera District), with a goal of restoring 300 square kilometers of wildflower habitat by 2030.

Pollinators was launched by Rwagasabo Safaris in response to the social and economic strain the COVID-19 pandemic placed on local communities in Rwanda, including job loss and rising mental health challenges. The program was created to give back through two connected efforts: community-based tourism and conservation initiatives that support local livelihoods, and a dedicated wellbeing initiative (Ubumuntu) offering trauma and depression support through the arts. Alongside this, the program works to protect endangered native and medicinal plant species and to restore wildflower habitat that supports Rwanda’s pollinators — bees, birds, and butterflies.

Our work to restore pollinator habitats around Rwanda includes creating wildflower nurseries and seed banks for endangered species and supporting iconic native plants. We also invite travelers and local residents to turn a corner of their own garden or community space into a nature-friendly wildflower haven, helping provide more food sources for pollinators.

We encourage you to explore the ways in which we at Pollinators Enrich our community using the links below:

1. Coffee Farming &Preparation Experience
2. Bee Hive & Honey Processing Experience
3. Traditional Cuisine & Local food (Cooking &Tasting) Experience
4. Cultural Heritage& Agaseke HandCrafts Experience
5. Agriculture Tour &Banana Juice & Beer and Sorghum Beer Experience ,
6. Traditional Dancing and Drumming Experience
7. Local endangered Plant species & Medicinal Plants Experience.
8. Community Life ( Live like Locals) at Pollinators

9. Heritage and Pastoralism at Rwagasabo Safaris
10. Home Host &Stay, Meet, interact with Locals and Village walks
11. Guided Hikes and Nature walks Experience
12. Guided Hiking, Mountain Biking, Camping& Night fire Experience around Lake Muhazi( Get a Quote)
12. Guided Birdwatching and Nature Walks Tour

Volunteer for this Program
Support the Program

. Ubumuntu(Humanity) Project, is the Introduction of the Trauma and Depression Therapy Project through the Arts, Music, Dance, and the live like locals’ experience

We will raise awareness and offer:

support for: bereavement, depression, adult and child PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) applying a combination of approaches from: narrative therapy, psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, counseling, and CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy).

We decided to use:  Creative arts in this way as an aid to understanding the various treatment goals and to carefully select creative arts activities that can support this process.

Our creative Arts in Therapy offers either: one-hour 1:1 sessions or two-hour closed
group sessions per week.

All sessions are confidential and run by experienced local social workers trained to conduct arts-based activities in psychotherapeutic practice, specifically for traumatized persons within our community. The treatment model for traumatized individuals focuses
on establishing safety, and activities such as including locals to reflect on each other’s dancing to increase the connection between group members.

We believe this will play a vital role in helping and understanding individual and collective trauma in communities.

We promote environmental protection and climate change action by raising community awareness and curiosity toward the vitality of environmental protection and management. We believe that the success of a community and its environment are inextricably linked. Our
Environmental Conservation Initiative includes community education; action, research; volunteer opportunities, and pathing the way for environmentally conscious tourism for development.

.Tree generation Project ( imagine if a tree was Wi-Fi?) This is a Conservation Education Project Promoting the culture of tree plantation and the Role of pollinators in Ecosystem Services.

 

Tourism, conservation, and community-based ecotourism are the key drivers of our country’s prosperity. With this in mind, Rwagasabo Safaris implements a resourceful Community Program that underscores its mission to support the local community. From gorilla trekking in Rwanda to education tours in Central Africa’s national parks, and from cultural activities such as basket weaving, dance and drumming lessons, and village walks to agricultural tours and guided hikes in Rwagasabo Safaris Rwanda, we have partnered with locals in our communities, researchers, conservationists, and of course, tourists visiting the region, to promote sustainable tourism to support local economic growth, development, and conservation initiatives.

“Pollinators” is all about the community, and everything they do translates into a better future for the locals. While on your Rwanda tours, come to see Pollinators promote a healthy and exciting exchange of ideas and resources between Rwandans and their guests.

The Pollinators Intercultural Exchange program is a platform for members of the local community with unique talents to join hands and put together exciting shows and activities for our visitors. A large variety of cultural tourism and ecotourism-based activities are staged at
Pollinators throughout the week, including traditional folk music and dance, art exhibitions, handcraft presentations, jewellery displays, and other fun activities and events.

Locals and visitors alike enjoy spending time at Pollinators and learning from each other. They do so knowing that this cultural exchange is of great benefit to all. The locals enjoy not only economic advantages but also the peace of mind that comes with every new effort to preserve their culture and their natural endowment for a sustainable future.

Join Rwagasabo Safaris on exciting cultural and ecotourism adventures that are community-based, engaging, and memorable.

.Agritourism Project Promoting Local Coffee farmers, Traditional Cuisine & Local food Cooking; Bee Keeping &Honey Tour, The preparation of Banana Juice & Wine Experience.

We encourage you to explore how we at Rwagasabo Safaris enrich our community using the links below:

 

Local Community Tours&Experiences

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pollinators?

Pollinators is Rwagasabo Safaris' community conservation and education program in Rwanda. It supports community-based tourism projects such as beekeeping, coffee farming, and handicrafts, while protecting and restoring native wildflower and traditional medicinal plant species.

Where does Pollinators operate in Rwanda?

The program operates in the Muhazi Lake Buffer Zone, covering Gasabo and Rwamagana Districts, and in the Akagera River catchment area within Bugesera District.

What is the goal of the Pollinators habitat restoration work?

Pollinators aims to restore 300 square kilometers of wildflower habitat in Rwanda by 2030, including creating wildflower nurseries and seed banks for endangered native plant species.

Why was the Pollinators program created?

Pollinators was launched by Rwagasabo Safaris in response to the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local communities, including job loss and rising mental health challenges. It was created to support community livelihoods and wellbeing alongside conservation work.

What is the Ubumuntu project?

Ubumuntu is Pollinators' wellbeing initiative, offering trauma and depression support through the arts, including music, dance, and community-based creative activities, delivered by trained local social workers.

What community-based tourism experiences are part of Pollinators?

Experiences include coffee farming and preparation, beekeeping and honey processing, traditional cuisine and local food tours, cultural heritage and handicraft lessons, agricultural tours, traditional dance and drumming, and guided hikes and birdwatching walks.

How can I get involved with Pollinators?

Travelers and supporters can get involved by volunteering with the program, making a donation, or booking a Pollinators community experience directly through Rwagasabo Safaris.

How does booking with Rwagasabo Safaris support Pollinators?

Bookings made directly with Rwagasabo Safaris, rather than through a third-party marketplace, help fund the Pollinators program's conservation and community development work in Rwanda.