01 / Community health
Healthier communities
Everyday health is part of conservation. Better hygiene, safe water and local health education help reduce risks for people and wildlife.
Activities & targetsHome
Our flagship proposal
Shielding the Great Apes
A community-led health and conservation shield for mountain gorillas and the people living along southern Bwindi’s forest boundary.
Proposed programmeRead the project brief
- Proposed investment
- US$210,660
- Planned duration
- 24 months
- Focus areas
- Rushaga & Nkuringo
- Lead implementer
- BGFI
Why this programme
Conservation starts
with everyday conditions.
The communities beside Bwindi face interconnected challenges. Poor sanitation, unsafe water and unmanaged waste can increase disease-transmission and environmental risks. Human–wildlife conflict can affect family incomes and make it harder for children to stay in school.
Shielding the Great Apes brings these challenges into one programme: strengthen local health knowledge, establish practical waste systems, support education and build better reporting and referral pathways.
The ambition
What 24 months could make possible.
Intended reach across the frontline communities of southern Bwindi.
18frontline villages
~3,600community members
150children supported
Proposed project targets. Approximately 3,600 community members, alongside 150 schoolchildren.
The work
Four parts of one programme.
02 / Waste management
Cleaner environments
Practical, locally managed systems keep waste away from homes, gardens and the forest boundary.
Activities & targets03 / Education & conservation
Opportunity through education
Support children from households affected by human–wildlife conflict, and help the next generation take part in conservation.
Activities & targets04 / Monitoring & collaboration
Learning together
Connect community knowledge with health and conservation expertise, so concerns can be reported and progress understood.
Activities & targetsLearning through implementation
Understand. Act. Learn.
Establish the baseline.
Understand local conditions, verify beneficiaries and agree practical implementation arrangements with communities and relevant stakeholders.
Deliver and review.
Put health, waste and education activities into practice. Use joint audits and a mid-term assessment to learn and adjust.
Strengthen what lasts.
Assess results at the end of the programme and support local ownership of waste systems, conservation clubs and referral pathways.
Funding the work
A proposed US$210,660 investment.
The proposal covers community health and sanitation, waste infrastructure, education and conservation, monitoring and evaluation, and project operations.
BGFI welcomes discussions about whole-programme support, phased funding and technical collaboration. A detailed budget and funding arrangement can be discussed directly with the project team.
Request the proposalA shared responsibility
The future of Bwindi
is something we build together.
Bring your knowledge, partnership or support to community-led conservation.
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