Women’s and youth empowerment in one of the world’s ‘best tourism villages’
Red Rocks Initiatives for Sustainable Development runs conservation- and community-based tourism projects in and around the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park is most famous for being one of the last habitats for mountain gorillas.
Our initiatives include advancing the important cause of women’s and youth empowerment within our communities.
The nonprofit Red Rocks Initiatives was spun 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.
Read more about Red Rocks Rwanda & Red Rocks Initiatives, including “Beyond ‘voluntourism’: Can you help Rwanda with sustainable tourism and community development?”
Red Rocks Initiatives helps bring communities into the tourism supply chain by supporting community development projects that help people help themselves.
In Nkotsi village, Rwanda, which is considered among the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), our current projects include training community members in skills that can improve their livelihoods post COVID-19.
As we mitigate the impacts of the pandemic, we work with local organisations to create employment opportunities for women and youth as well as run educational, agricultural, and cultural conservation programs that benefit them and the whole community.
Many of these initiatives are led by Peace Gatera and Laissa Isheija who are enthusiastic about women’s and youth empowerment in both economic and social terms.
“One of my visions is for many of our young people and women to participate in innovative conservation, poverty-alleviation, and community empowerment initiatives through tourism,” Ms Gatera said.
Ms Isheija is “always happy” to take the lead in women’s and youth empowerment. To lead by example, Laissa has joined the local guiding association to give her “the chance to interact with different people around the world”.
Women’s and youth empowerment through education
Red Rocks Initiatives enables young people (and all community members) to access a variety of educational paths designed to build practical skills in line with the sustainable tourism development in the area. The courses help people understand the value of their community, cultural, and natural resources and their conservation.
Women’s and youth empowerment through agriculture
The Igihoho project was initiated in 2016 with the aim of reducing the use of plastic bags for seedlings. In Nkotsi village and surrounding areas, plastic seed bags have been replaced by eco-friendly bags made from banana bark.
The Igihoho project directly involves 20 women who help meet the demand for more sustainable products while generating incomes for themselves.
We also train community members in small animal livestock support programs.
By implementing these ongoing women’s and youth empowerment initiatives, as well as whole-of-community events such as the annual Red Rocks Cultural Festival, we support local people in their goals of improving their lives, providing a sustainable future for their households, and linking them with new friends and supporters from around the world.
If you are interested in partnering with us on any project, we at Red Rocks Initiatives for Sustainable Development would love to hear from you. Please email info@redrocksinitiative.org.
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
