Chances for a New Life
Gorilla Journal - June 2001

Prior to the legal protection of the Kahuzi-Biega Park, the Batwa (Pygmies) lived there and they subsisted on the forest. With the foundation of the national park they had to leave their home and settled east of the park, particularly in the Kabare and Kalehe zones. At the moment, there are about 600 Batwa living in these zones. They do not own land and they are very poor; land ownership is very important for the standard of living in this region. Many Pygmies do not have any alternative to hunting in the park in order to survive.

The improvement of the living conditions of these people is a decisive step in the struggle against the bushmeat trade. Many families would like to practise farming, but they do not have fields. The Kahuzi-Biega Project wants to buy land and put it at the disposal of the pygmies – 200 ha, i.e. roughly 1 ha for every family. As soon as funds are raised, the purchase of the fields shall be started.

Education is one of the prerequisites for the reconstruction of the Congo – but the war has destroyed the schools. We would like to help improve schools in Bukavu. Aimé Jules Murhula from the ICCN/GTZ Kahuzi-Biega Project has sent us a detailed description of the situation at two primary schools. Above all, classrooms need to be built; one of them would cost roughly US$ 5,000.

Who – whether single persons or organizations – wants to improve opportunities for children in the Congo? We would be pleased to send you further detailed information (in French).

Help us to protect the park by making it possible for the local people to lead a better life!

Equipment Deliveries
Gorilla Journal - June 2000

Once again we sent equipment for rangers in December. The storage was re-supplied with 570 kg of material, some of which has already been distributed:

• 40 rain coats and trousers, 30 fleece sweaters were given to rangers in the Rwandan Volcano National Park.
• 51 rain coats, 20 backpacks and sleeping bags, 30 T-shirts, 10 sweaters, 5 tents and other material will be of great help to the rangers on Mt. Mikeno, Virunga Park.
• Lanterns, tarpaulins, 30 blankets, cooking equipment, writing utensils and other small pieces of equipment were made available to the Tayna Gorilla Reserve.
• 40 sweaters, 7 sleeping bags, 3 tents, tarpaulins and water bottles are earmarked for the rangers in the Ugandan Mgahinga National Park.
• 30 pairs of boots were bought by Ute Eilenberger in Rwanda and taken to the rangers of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park.

New Requests for Equipment

• For the rangers of the Mikeno we want to re-stock all the equipment delivered so far. For the rangers of the Mikeno we want to re-stock all the equipment delivered so far.
• Ute Eilenberger has informed us about the need for rubber boots in Rwanda.
• Uganda has reported a further need for material for its gorilla parks: 40 sets of equipment for rangers for the Mgahinga Park and 80 for Bwindi are requested, in addition to tents and technical equipment such as GPSs, binoculars, and many others. Because of last year's incursions from the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the political situation there, bulletproof vests are also requested.
• We intend to buy a certain number of rubber boots (50-100 pairs) each year in Uganda. Currently, we are negotiating with a manufacturing company.

Donations of money and equipment are very welcome; however, regarding the equipment, certain requirements should be met. If you want to send material to us, we therefore ask you to contact Iris Weiche first:

Tel./Fax: +49-7071-31805
E-mail: I.Weiche@t-online.de

Please send checks to:
Rolf Brunner, Lerchenstr. 5, 45473 Muelheim, Germany

or transfer your donation to the following account:
Account number 353344315
at the Stadtsparkasse Muelheim/Ruhr, Germany, BLZ 362 500 00

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