Africa-Press – Rwanda. The earlier postponed 20th Kwita Izina ceremony will be held on September 5, according to the organisers. Rwanda’s annual baby Gorilla naming ceremony, a celebration of the country’s long-standing commitment to conservation, will be held on the foothills of Volcanoes National Park, in Kinigi, Musanze District, with guests joining the communities living around the home of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Last October Rwanda Development Board (RDB) announced the postponement of Kwita Izina 2024.
At the time, 22 mountain gorillas born in the previous 12 months were to be named during the ceremony, which had been scheduled to take place on October 18. It is not yet clear how many baby gorillas will be named this year.
Since the beginning of the naming ceremony, first held in 2005, up to 395 baby gorillas have been named. The event has played a pivotal role in helping Rwanda achieve remarkable growth in its tourism sector, according RDB Chief Tourism Officer Michaella Rugwizangoga.
Celebrities including football stars, movie stars, and music stars, alongside 20 top tourism personnel and journalists were expected to attend the ceremony last year.
Gorilla tourism alone contributes 1% of Rwanda’s GDP and is a key driver of local community development.
Since 2005, Rwf12.86 billion has been used to fund 1,108 community projects including schools, health centres, and dairy farms.
These initiatives have empowered communities to become guardians of conservation, protecting wildlife and the environment surrounding national parks such as Volcanoes, Akagera, Gishwati-Mukura, and Nyungwe.
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