Twenty-three newborn baby gorillas were given names at the annual Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony held in the foothills of Rwandas Volcanoes National Park, writes Johnston Busingye, the High Commissioner for Rwanda to the UK.
The mountain gorillas that inhabit the rich green rainforest on the slopes of the volcanoes are thriving, thanks to concerted conservation efforts from the government of Rwanda, NGOs, and local communities.
In 1978 there were 278 mountain gorillas left in the wild, today we are blessed with over 1 000 of the majestic creatures.
The naming ceremony has become a global festival and celebration of conservation, with each year a new cohort of namers, global movers, and shakers in Conservation, Arts, Sports, Philanthropy, Technology, Innovation and others, travelling to Rwanda to provide a human parental connection to the newborns.
This year the UK was well-represented with the likes of Idris and Sabrina Elba, Sol Campbell, and the UK Minister for Africa, Andrew Mitchell, all in attendance.
Previous namers have included King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, Naomi Campbell, and David Attenborough.
Why do these big names take part in Kwita Izina? First and foremost, they go to celebrate and commend conservation efforts.
They go to stand shoulder to shoulder with the local community who have committed to protecting wildlife – over 20 000 local residents attend the ceremony every year.
The community recognises the need, but also the benefits of conserving biodiversity.
In Rwanda, 10% of the annual income from wildlife tourism is invested back into the communities surrounding the national parks.
To date, around US$ 10 million has been invested in 1,000 projects including infrastructure, schools, health facilities, water harvesting facilities, housing, agriculture business and to support human-wildlife conflict management.
Other global personalities are in Rwanda to invest.
Moodys credit rating agency recently upgraded Rwandas outlook, citing the countrys effective institutions, credible policies, and the economys growth by 9.2% in the first quarter of 2023, following 8.2% growth in 2022, a strong rebound after the shattering effects of Covid-19.
Investors are drawn by Rwandas ease of doing business and the enabling environment for innovation.
This September it was announced Rwanda will host the worlds first dual-fluid nuclear reactor, and that BioNTechs InstaDeep has chosen Rwanda as an AI research hub in Africa.
Africa’s only digestive cancer centre is due to open its doors in November, and Rio Tinto is pitching camp.
Conference and sports tourism have logically followed the substantial investments the Government has made in both areas.
Five exciting years of a groundbreaking partnership with Arsenal FC have led us into more partnerships with PSG and recently, Bayern Munich.
Some celebrity namers want to relax during their time in the Land of a Thousand Hills: safari in Akagera, soak in the tranquil shores of Lake Kivu, trek to find the chimpanzees in Nyungwe or track the gorillas in the mist.
They do so in the knowledge their safety is guaranteed, crime rates are extremely low and one can walk alone at any time of day or night.
RwandAir, the national carrier will start flying six times a week from London to Kigali to cater for the influx of leisure and business travellers in November this year.
Much of the reporting on Africa fetishises tragedy and little else.
If the commentators are interested for real, I encourage them to go to next years Kwita Izina, to see for themselves the hope and dignity with which people live.
I came in 2005, I cannot believe how much Rwanda has grown and has become a shining example for Africa, said Idris Elba at this years ceremony.
Kwita Izina is just one festival, but it represents Rwanda’s renewal and progress.
Fostering unity and peace, enabling prosperity, and maintaining the balance between humankind and nature are values that can be witnessed every day across the country, you just have to look.
A former UK Ambassador to Rwanda, Jeremy Macadie, named his baby gorilla Big Ben at Kwita Izina in 2006.
I invite the sceptics to come and visit the other Big Ben in the Virungas.
*The writer of this article is Johnston Busingye, the High Commissioner for Rwanda to the UK. The views expressed by Johnston Busingye are not necessarily those of The Bulrushes
