In December 2020, Forest of Hope opened its new Guest House and Camp Site at the Gishwati Research Station at Gishwati-Mukura National Park. Gishwati is an example of ecotourism at its best, with the proceeds of every visit contributing to the reforestation, protection and conservation of both the park’s diverse flora and fauna and the upliftment of its surrounding communities.

FHA founder received the Ian Redmond conservation awards. This awards have been co-funded by Remembering Great Apes and the Born Free Foundation and recognize conservationists making notable contributions to the preservation of great apes. The grant was used to fund education of local children in 13 schools and their parent in village around their schools about the importance of the forest ecologically and how to avoid diseases spreading between the human and chimpanzee population. Below is the report about this initiative.

Forest of Hope Association (FHA) under a sub-award of Wildlife conservation Society (WCS) conducted a needs assessment in modern beekeeping around Gishwati- Mukura National Park, Rwanda . This assessment was conducted in 12 sectors of Rutsiro and Ngororero districts around GMNP with the aim of empowering local communities to get alternative honey in order to reduce the fire incidents in the park and improve local livelihoods. Also this assessment provides useful information for expansion of beekeeping in order to meet the demand of the Modern Honey Processing Center that the government constructed in the area in 2017.

See the full report

Forest of Hope Association (FHA) throught the project “Enhancing the understanding of the Gishwati-Mukura National Park, Ecosystem and local support to its conservation,” funded by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) through BirdLife International, developed the Gishwati–Mukura National Park guidebook. This guidebook is expected to widely communicate species richness and the value of the Gishwati- Mukura National park and will continue helping many tourists expected to visit the area once Tourism activities is opened.

Three Year Interim Management plan of the Forest of Hope, Gishwati, Submitted to be considered by Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB). This will guide the planning process of the new Gishwati- Mukura National Plan. This management plan was developed by Forest of Hope Association in collaboration with all stakeholders ( RNRA, RDB, REMA and Rutsiro District) with the support from The Critical Ecosystem partnership Fund (CEPF)

Using the two awards that Forest of Hope Association received from British Ecological Society and John Ball Zoo Wildlife Conservation Fund, 13 eco-clubs in schools around Gishwati Forest Reserve reached local people and helped to educate them about the ecological importance of Gishwati Forest Reserve (GFR) focusing on: feeding and nesting behaviour of primates; the role of primates, birds and insects in forest maintenance; and the role of the forest in water purification, maintenance and provisioning. This initiative increased the knowledge of local community on forest ecology and its importance. We are confident that this will continue influencing local attitude towards the forest and its biodiversity conservation.

Forest of Hope Association (FHA) is a local NGO working on the conservation of the Gishwati Forest in Rwanda since January 2012 to current. FHA emerged from the Great Ape Trust/Gishwati Area Conservation Programme (GACP), an International NGO that conserved Gishwati Forest Reserve from 2008 through 2011. Since 2008, the activities of FHA team has had an impressive conservation impacts on Gishwati. FHA has not only led the conservation and management of Gishwati Forest Reserve, but also played an important role as an intermediary between the government and local people. It has successfully helped in finding solutions to difficult social issues within communities and reduced conflicts between local people and the forest by using local knowledge and other opportunities. This report shows achievements, Challenges and lesson learnt from 2008 to current.

In June 2014, Forest of Hope Association (FHA) arranged a series of community meetings to build on the achievements of the Community Forest Protection Initiative and further animate surrounding communities so that Gishwati may become a model for Rwanda of how communities may actively join in protection and stewardship of their forests. We have met local community at five sites: Mubuga, Kinihira, Bitenga, Rundoyi, and Nyagahinika. Two main objectives supported this goal. The first was to generate excitement among local stakeholders by learning of other communities around the world who are actively protecting their forests, including some of the different ways this is being done. The second is to facilitate an inclusive, participatory process of awareness and empowerment for local communities that may lead to formation of one or more community based organizations focused on protecting Gishwati Forest and helping local people. If such groups form, they will be strong allies of FHA and of the Rwandan government. See the summary

Mu kwezi kwa Nyakanga, hakozwe inama yahuje abafatanyabikorwa ku ishyamba cyimeza rya Gishwati. Iyi nama isoza umwaka yari igamije kurebera hamwe ibyagezwo n’uburinzi bushingiye ku baturage ku ishyamba cyimeza rya Gishwati. Byagaragaye ko ubu burinzi bwageze kuri byinshi biturutse ku bufatanye bw’abaturiye Gishwati, abayobozi ndetse n’abafatanyabikorwa. Reba raporo.

Report published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED (UK)) in 2014 on how some local organisations in East Africa have succeeded in linking conservation and development. It contains the profile that demonstrate how Forest of Hope Association (FHA) facilitate community involvement in managing the Gishwati Forest Reserve

Raporo y’inama y’igihembwe yahuje abafatanyabikorwa ku wa 15/11/2013 hakorwa ubugenzuzi ku bikorwa by’uburinzi bw’ishyamba, hanaganirwa kuri ejo hazaza h’ishyamba Cyimeza rya Gishwati. Abitabiriye inama Harimo: Akarere ka Rutsiro; Rwanda Development Board (RDB); International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) na Forest of Hope Association (FHA)

Raporo y’inama nyunguranabitekerezo yo ku wa 25/06/2013 yahuje abafatanyabikorwa ku ishyamba Cyimeza rya Gishwati baganira ku mushinga w’uburinzi bushingiye cyane ku baturiye Gishwati, Community Forest Protection Initiative (CFPI). Abitabiriye inama barimo: Forest of Hope Association (FHA); Akarere ka Rutsiro; Rwanda Development Board (RDB) n’ikigo cy’umutungo Kamere ishami ry’amashyamba (RNRA/FCN)

In 2013, Forest of Hope Association (FHA) was awarded a grant from the International Primatological Society (IPS) to educate local people about the importance of Gishwati Forest Reserve and its biodiversity by focusing on primate conservation. The main goal of the project was to ensure extensive awareness in local community on the importance of Gishwati forest and the biodiversity that it shelters, in order to reduce the Primates habitat degradation, poaching, and risks of diseases transmission between humans and primates. See additional information on the implementation and the achievement of this grant in the report submitted to IPS.

The Final Report of the Forest of Hope Association project “Reducing the conflicts between local farmers and the managers of the Gishwati Forest Reserve, Rwanda”, a project that was supported by the Rufford Small Grants Foundation