Kwita Izina is the gorilla naming ceremony that takes place in Rwanda. This takes place at kinigi on the foothills of Volcanoes national park which is also a great place for gorilla trekking in Rwanda and volcano hiking. The Kwita Izina baby gorilla naming ceremony was launched in 2005 in order to expand the awareness of conservation efforts for the endangered mountain gorillas. Even though the ceremony was there before though quiet, Rwanda Development Board decided to step into giving it a huge legitimacy as well as support.
Naming the new born baby has been part of the Rwandan culture and tradition so the more reason it has been taken on and modeled on these species making it a national brand known as the kwita Izina.this event since being launched, has not only been about a celebration of the newly born mountain gorilla babies, but also serves to raise awareness of the importance of the protection of species and their habitants at community, national, regional and international levels.
This event which happens in September and this aims at not only celebrating the efforts put in the conservation but also plays a vital role in the ongoing programs of monitoring each Gorilla individually in the family it’s in and also its habitant. This has also helped the highlight their eco systems and the biodiversity and the critical need for us to preserve them.
The twin mountain gorilla babies; this occurrence is not only rare but also more adorable. This excitement is so high seeing since the twins were born in Rwanda for the third time round with the first being in 2005, the second time in 2012 and this year something that is also a blessing to the conservation efforts.
There is also conservation Forum which is a high level conservation on conservation that was launched in 2015. This will provide a unique platform linking conservation with sustainable tourism, and embracing all the layers of the value chain from community to governments, private sector to NGOs. The Main objective of this Forum (COC) is to discuss common challenges in Africa including but not limited to debating best solutions and ideas through group workshop forums; present proposals for a High-level VIP Panel for conversation / debate; and agree on resolutions, outcomes and commitment to implementation.
About celebrating and launching community projects, these Igitaramo celebration have resulted from the tourism sharing scheme. This is also the way Rwanda Development Board intends to thank the communities most especially nearby the national parks for helping them in their conservation efforts. The activity celebrations have been planned near each of Rwanda’s three national parks.
There is a platform that will bring together top quality tourism buyers looking for the new African Travel markets and the regional tourism boards as well as the conservationists showing their products. It is aimed that this platform will provide networking opportunities throughout the two hosted lively presentation. It will also be open to the general public on Sunday when the local consumers get to learn about Rwanda’s domestic tourism products and services and will also benefit from special offers being promoted at the different exhibition stands.
This gorilla naming ceremony is the climax of the Kwita Izina week and usually features cultural performances and renditions from the local entertainers. The event brings in many guests in Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcano Mountains in the northern province of Rwanda. Each and every prayer from both the conservation and tourism industries attend the naming of gorillas. Naming a mountain gorilla baby is considered a great honor. Baby Namer’s are carefully chosen to include individuals both globally and locally that have made a great contribution to conservation efforts both in Rwanda and the world.
To learn more about Kwita Izina check this website.