A new five-year initiative will help 547 households affected by the planned expansion of Volcanoes National Park build businesses and connect to markets, as conservation authorities work to resettle families into a planned Smart Green Village in Musanze District.
The effort comes through a partnership between the African Wildlife Foundation and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners, a pan-African consulting and investment firm, signed in Kigali on Monday.
The two organizations said the program will eventually reach more than 3,500 households, according to an article by the newtimes.
The Rwanda Development Board plans to expand Volcanoes National Park by roughly 3,740 hectares to create additional habitat for mountain gorillas and other wildlife.
AWF has worked alongside the Rwandan government on the broader conservation program.
Kaddu Sebunya, AWF’s chief executive officer, said conservation and economic opportunity must move together.
“By partnering with ESP, we are bringing enterprise, markets and finance into African-led, people-centred conservation, so that thriving wildlife and thriving communities become one and the same goal,” Sebunya said in a statement.
The Smart Green Village project addresses housing, infrastructure and livelihood needs for displaced families.
The AWF-ESP partnership adds a separate layer: strengthening community enterprises and linking them to financing and commercial markets.
The organizations outlined four areas of work under the agreement: developing entrepreneurial opportunities for households, building enterprises and value chains, restoring and sustainably managing natural resources, and improving access to markets, finance and infrastructure.
Value chains identified include high-value horticulture, cotton and shea production.
Eric Kacou, co-founder and managing partner of ESP, said communities living near wildlife should share in the economic returns of natural resources.
“By bringing skills, markets and Intelligent Capital to AWF’s six decades of conservation leadership, we can build ventures that create lasting prosperity and give communities every reason to protect nature for generations,” Kacou said.
The partnership extends beyond Rwanda. In Uganda’s Kidepo Valley Conservation Landscape, ESP will build on AWF’s existing work with 2,280 cotton farmers adopting regenerative agricultural practices designed to improve yields while protecting wildlife corridors.
The initiative also plans to support shea production for an additional 4,320 people, complementing programs already established by AWF and the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
For outdoor recreation and tourism operators, the expansion of Volcanoes National Park signals continued investment in one of Africa’s highest-profile nature-based tourism destinations.