Donation to Nyungwe Bird Club, Rwanda

Narcisse Ndayambaje, a specialist bird guide from Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda, has set up a birdwatching club for the kids in the local village, both to train the guides of the future (thus providing for sustainable livelihoods), and to educate the local community on the importance of conserving and protecting their forest. He and a colleague, Claver Ntoyinkima, do this entirely out of their own generosity and commitment to their love of birds and education.

The club is going well (see Facebook link below), but growing and they need more binoculars and field guides. Luckily Narcisse will be at Birdfair this year manning the Rwanda Birding Association stand, so it was decided to organise a small presentation ceremony to provide publicity to this very sustainable cause. We are hoping that Birdfair, bird magazines, RSPB and other charities can publicise the event in their magazines and newsletters as a good news story for Rwanda, both in print and online. We would also like to see it on the Birdfair website and through Birdfair TV. Tim Appleton, co-organisers of Birdfair, will unfortunately not be able to attend the presentation (he will be facilitating the Bird Brain of Britain with Bill Oddie) but said, “What great news coming from Rwanda. Lets hope the Nyungwe Bird Club can spread to more villages in the future and help young people understand their wonderful environment”.

Here are the presentation details:
Where and when: Birding Africa Stand (Marquee 3: stand 29) at 15h30 on Saturday 17 August

The guide: Narcisse Ndayambaje (e-mail: ndaynarc)
The club: Nyungwe Kids Birdwatching Club (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nyungwekbw.club )

The donations:

22 pairs of binoculars, generously donated by members of RSPB; Colin Hawkins from RSPB to present
10 Birds of East Africa field guides donated by Nigel Redman (commissioning editor of Helm Field Guides)
4 copies of My First Book of East African Birds published by Struik, Cape Town

Facilitation: Callan Cohen and Marjorie Hemp of Birding Africa at their stand (Marquee 3: stand 29)

Supported by interested parties: John Caddick of African Bird Club (john.caddick), Boaz Tumwesigye of USAID Nyungwe Nziza Project (boaz_tumwesigye), David Mugisha, President Rwanda Birding (david)

We envisage a short photo opportunity and interview with Narcisse and a selection of Colin Hawkins, Nigel Redman, Callan Cohen, Boaz Tumwesigye, David Mugisha and John Caddick if they’re free (10 mins max.) Photo opportunities will also be arranged at the RSPB stand (Marquee 4: stands 33-37) and at the Rwanda Birding Association Stand (Marquee 5; stand 30).

Further details, photos and e-mail addresses can be supplied.
Marje Hemp, E-mail: info@birdingafrica.com (based in Kigali, Rwanda)

Join us birding in Rwanda, contact us info@birdingafrica.com.

Photos of Narcisse (top left), Narcisse and Claver (middle and bottom left), Claver birding in Nyungwe (top and middle right), Nyungwe Young Birders Club members (bottom right).