The kwita izina ceremony this year was celebrated in Musanze kinigi district at the foothills of Volcanoes national park.This tradition has been on going for the past 14 years. It was forest introduced in 2005 to highlight the importance of the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas.this year 25 baby gorillas were named from 17 gorilla group families which include; Amahoro, Agashya Umubano, Hirwa, Igisha, Isimbi, Muhoza, Kwitonda, Sabyinyo, Susa, Pablo, Kuryama, Mafunzo, Kureba, Musirikare and Ntambara
The ceremony was graced by different dignitaries from across the world and Rwanda including;
His Excellency Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe: Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
Amina Mohammed: Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. She was formerly the Federal Minister of the Environment of Nigeria.
Paul Milton & Luke Bailes: Founder of Milton Group who developed the Singita Kwitonda Lodge on behalf of investors Mr. Paul Tudor Jones and Mr. Anders Povlsen. Paul is a conservationist and has been working in Rwanda for the past 5 years.The Founder and Executive Chairman of Singita, Luke Bailes, has been a pioneer in tourism conservation on the continent for decades. Singita’s model of combining luxury Eco-friendly lodges with conservation projects has led to operations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania and in August this year, here in Rwanda, on the edge of Volcanoes National Park.
HRH Princess Basma Bint Ali: Princess Basma bint Ali is an advocate of biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture in Jordan; she is the founder of many non-government environmental organizations like the Royal Botanic Garden of Jordan (RBG) and the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan.
Dame Louise Martin, DBE: She is President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, which oversees one of the world’s biggest sporting events – the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games.
Tony Adams: Tony Alexander Adams MBE is an English football legend. As a player, Adams played for Arsenal and England, captaining both teams.
Amb. Ron Adams: He is the Ambassador of the State of Israel in Rwanda.
Niklas Adalberth: Swedish entrepreneur and founder of Norrsken.
Jeremy Jauncey: Founder & CEO of Beautiful Destinations, an award-winning nation branding agency.
Otara Gunewardene: Sri Lankan businessperson and philanthropist.
Ronan Donovan: National Geographic photographer and filmmaker.
Louis Van Gaal: Dutch former football manager and player. At the club level, he served as manager of Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, as well as having two spells in charge of the Netherlands national team.
Naomi Campbell: English supermodel, actress, and businesswoman.
Madeleine Nyiratuza: Programme Specialist, Sustainable Growth Unit, UNDP Rwanda. She is also responsible for the conservation and restoration of the Gishwati Forest Reserve which led to the creation of Gishwati Mukura National Park.
Sherrie Silver: Actress and choreographer. She won an MTV VMA Award for Best Choreography for choreographing Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’.
Marco Lambertini: Director-General, World Wildlife Fund International (WWF).
Emmanuel Niringiyimana: Young Rwandan who built a road on his own to facilitate the movement of people and goods in his village in Karongi District.
Shaffer Chimere Smith: Better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, he is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer.
Ngabo Médard Jobert: Better known as Meddy, he is a Rwandan RnB and pop artist.
Anthony Nzuki: Ranger Post Leader at Akagera National Park, Rwanda.
According to RDB Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi, the increasing gorilla population in the Volcanoes National Park is proof of the strides that Rwanda has made in gorilla conservation.
“This could have not happened without the support and collaboration of our conservation partners as well as the cooperation of the members of the community surrounding the park. Initiatives such as the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony play a major role in conserving gorillas. Thanks to the conservation efforts, we have been able to improve the gorilla trekking experience for our visitors and also increase the amount of support we have given to the local communities through the revenue sharing program,” she says.
“Rwanda’s overall tourism strategy has always focused on two important areas, sustainability through responsible tourism and conservation and community involvement. It has always been about protecting our natural heritage, providing world-class experiences that highlight the diverse natural beauty of Rwanda while ensuring that Rwandans benefit from this tourism and conservation. No one has been left behind,” adds Akamanzi.
