Red Rocks’ journey towards sustainable community development in Rwanda

Red Rocks Ini­ti­at­ive for Sus­tain­able Devel­op­ment is an Afric­an non-gov­ern­ment­al organ­isa­tion (NGO) that focuses on com­munity devel­op­ment in Rwanda and beyond. 

By pri­or­it­ising women and youth, Red Rocks aims to increase their social stand­ing and eco­nom­ic live­li­hoods through skills devel­op­ment and job opportunities. 

Col­lab­or­at­ing with com­munity stake­hold­ers, Red Rocks over­comes bar­ri­ers that lim­it women’s involve­ment in the tour­ism sec­tor. By advoc­at­ing for policy changes, Red Rocks sup­ports the inclu­sion and act­ive par­ti­cip­a­tion of women in the sec­tor. And by pro­mot­ing sus­tain­able tour­ism and envir­on­ment­al con­ser­va­tion, Red Rocks cre­ates high-value jobs for women in their communities. 

Red Rocks also sup­ports skills devel­op­ment in the Vir­unga trans­bound­ary region. The great­er par­ti­cip­a­tion of women and young adults in the region’s work­force con­trib­utes to the growth of the tour­ism sec­tor over­all and empowers Afric­an com­munit­ies in the region to become self-reli­ant and resilient. 

Red Rocks’ com­mit­ment to offer­ing industry-rel­ev­ant train­ing pro­grammes and devel­op­ing a mar­ket-ready work­force sets a bench­mark for sus­tain­able tour­ism and com­munity devel­op­ment ini­ti­at­ives both loc­ally and regionally.

If you are inter­ested in part­ner­ing with us, we at Red Rocks Ini­ti­at­ive for Sus­tain­able Devel­op­ment would love to hear from you. Please email info@redrocksinitiative.org.

Community development in Rwanda’s Northern Province

Red Rocks Ini­ti­at­ive for Sus­tain­able Devel­op­ment has made sig­ni­fic­ant strides towards cre­at­ing sus­tain­able social and eco­nom­ic com­munity devel­op­ment in Rwanda, espe­cially for women and youth in the North­ern Province. 

With a focus on envir­on­ment­al con­ser­va­tion and sus­tain­able tour­ism, Red Rocks has been at the fore­front of empower­ing loc­al com­munit­ies and build­ing a mar­ket-ready work­force to meet the evolving demands of the post-COV­ID labour market.

As a private sec­tor stake­hold­er, Red Rocks plays a vital role in devel­op­ing the neces­sary sys­tems to enhance mar­ket-rel­ev­ant train­ing pro­grammes. The staff­ing needs of the tour­ism and hos­pit­al­ity industry inform Red Rocks as they cre­ate oppor­tun­it­ies for sus­tain­able, high-value jobs in the community. 

Community development in Rwanda and beyond: Prioritising women and youth

Red Rocks Rwanda has embarked on an inspir­ing jour­ney to cre­ate sus­tain­able social and eco­nom­ic devel­op­ment for women and youth; not only in Rwanda’s North­ern province, but also with­in the Vir­unga trans­bound­ary region, which includes Uganda and the Demo­crat­ic Repub­lic of the Congo. 

One of the key pil­lars of Red Rocks’ strategy is to pri­or­it­ise youth and women’s pro­grammes, recog­nising that they are cent­ral to com­munity devel­op­ment in Rwanda and its neigh­bours. By provid­ing employ­ment oppor­tun­it­ies and skills devel­op­ment, Red Rocks aims to boost the live­li­hoods of young people and women in the Vir­unga trans­bound­ary region, as well as their social stand­ing in their communities. 

Through col­lab­or­at­ive efforts with com­munity stake­hold­ers, Red Rocks ensures that its pro­grammes help accel­er­ate eco­nom­ic trans­form­a­tion and over­come bar­ri­ers that lim­it women’s involve­ment in tourism.

Read more about Red Rocks Rwanda &
Red Rocks Ini­ti­at­ive for Sus­tain­able Development

Community development in Rwanda in support of sustainable tourism

Through a focus on envir­on­ment­al con­ser­va­tion, sus­tain­able tour­ism, and skills devel­op­ment, Red Rocks has become a driv­ing force in the North­ern Province of Rwanda. 

Red Rocks engages in advocacy efforts, lob­by­ing for policy changes that pro­mote the inclu­sion and act­ive par­ti­cip­a­tion of women in the sector.

By encour­aging the par­ti­cip­a­tion of women and young adults in the tour­ism industry, Red Rocks fosters innov­a­tion and unlocks mar­ket oppor­tun­it­ies for sus­tain­able cul­tur­al tour­ism, eco­tour­ism, and agri­t­our­ism. 

Red Rocks aims to equip women and youth with skills that align with industry demands, recog­nising that skills devel­op­ment is import­ant for the sus­tain­able futures of not only indi­vidu­als but also Rwanda’s travel, tour­ism, and hos­pit­al­ity industries. 

Red Rocks’ journey continues

By equip­ping indi­vidu­als with the neces­sary skills and know­ledge, provid­ing employ­ment oppor­tun­it­ies, fos­ter­ing innov­a­tion, and advoc­at­ing for policy changes, Red Rocks not only con­trib­utes to the growth of the tour­ism sec­tor in Rwanda and the Vir­unga trans­bound­ary region but also empowers loc­al com­munit­ies to become self-reli­ant and resi­li­ent in the face of eco­nom­ic challenges.

Red Rocks’ ongo­ing com­mit­ment to cre­at­ing a mar­ket-ready work­force sets a bench­mark for sus­tain­able tour­ism and com­munity devel­op­ment in Rwanda and beyond.

About Red Rocks Initiatives for Sustainable Development

Drip­ping with sus­tain­able tour­ism and com­munity devel­op­ment poten­tial, the Vol­ca­noes Nation­al Park in north­west­ern Rwanda is one of the last hab­it­ats in the world for moun­tain gorillas.

Red Rocks Ini­ti­at­ive for Sus­tain­able Devel­op­ment is advoc­at­ing eco­tour­ism and cul­tur­al tour­ism as part of its pro­gram to pro­mote sus­tain­able com­munity devel­op­ment around Vol­ca­noes Nation­al Park.

The non­profit is a spin off from Red Rock Rwanda, which is a social enter­prise that is all about travel & tour­ism that pro­motes sus­tain­ab­il­ity through vari­ous com­munity, cul­tur­al, and envir­on­ment­al programs. 

We believe eco­tour­ism and cul­tur­al tour­ism activ­it­ies can gen­er­ate con­sid­er­able bene­fits for our com­munit­ies, as well as provide invalu­able inter­cul­tur­al and know­ledge exchange bey­ond tra­di­tion­al ‘volun­tour­ism’. 

Red Rocks Ini­ti­at­ives involves loc­al people in everything it does. In that spir­it, we wish to forge part­ner­ships with like-minded indi­vidu­als and organ­isa­tions from around the world who would like to help us advance our sus­tain­able tour­ism and com­munity devel­op­ment projects. 

We would love to hear from you. Please email info@redrocksinitiative.org

About the mountain gorillas of the Virunga Mountains

Moun­tain gor­il­las are a crit­ic­ally endangered spe­cies that inhab­it the lush forests of the Vir­unga Moun­tains, loc­ated on the bor­ders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Demo­crat­ic Repub­lic of Congo. 

These majest­ic creatures are a major attrac­tion for vis­it­ors to this region, with many com­ing to see them in their nat­ur­al hab­it­at at Vol­ca­noes Nation­al Park in Rwanda. 

Moun­tain gor­il­las are the largest prim­ates in the world and are known for their impress­ive phys­ic­al strength and gentle nature. 

Vis­it­ors can observe the gor­il­las up close dur­ing guided treks, where they can wit­ness their social beha­viour, unique vocal­isa­tions, and com­plex fam­ily structures. 

Rwanda is com­mit­ted to the con­ser­va­tion of the moun­tain gor­il­las, with a por­tion of the rev­en­ue from gor­illa tour­ism going towards their pro­tec­tion and hab­it­at pre­ser­va­tion. Strict reg­u­la­tions ensure the safety of both the gor­il­las and visitors 

As well as oppor­tun­it­ies to wit­ness the endangered moun­tain gor­il­las in their nat­ur­al hab­it­at — an exper­i­ence that leaves a last­ing impres­sion on guests — Red Rocks also offers mem­or­able inter­act­ive exper­i­ences in Rwandan cul­ture and traditions.

Email Red Rocks at info@redrocksinitiative.org