Local Artists Promote Gorilla Conservation and Find Economic Opportunity

Gorilla survival greatly depends on the well-being of the people who live adjacent to the parks in which mountain gorillas live. Virunga Artisan products are the handiwork of the people in villages across the Virunga/Bwindi highlands of Central Africa - the conservation landscape of AWF's Virunga Heartland.

Far from the region's larger cities, these artisans create remarkable works of art as they balance a traditional social structure and way of living with the forces of modernity. These communities are on the immediate perimeters of the national parks and have the greatest impact on mountain gorilla habitat.

These villages have no running water or electricity and traditionally the people have made their living from subsistence agriculture. It can be a harsh existence and the women must often walk many miles just to get enough water for the day.

But when given the opportunity, these hard working people added weaving and carving to their very long days in order to improve the lives of their families. In addition to economic empowerment, there is a real sense of accomplishment and pride in the traditional baskets, carvings, hand painted apparel/home furnishings, premium coffee and tea that they create.

The earnings from the sale of their crafts have started to make a difference, including access to health care and the ability to buy uniforms and books so their children can go to school.

Virunga Artisans works closely with the International Gorilla Conservation Program Business Enterprise Team to foster viable economic opportunities within these communities. They provide training, materials, and financial support in developing value-added products from local resources, improving the quality and marketability of traditional crafts, creating sustainable businesses, and sourcing market outlets in the region and USA/UK.

By marketing their quality crafts, coffee and tea, Virunga Artisans enable these local artisans to make a living outside the parks, which strengthens their communities and helps preserve fragile watershed and gorilla habitat.

Virunga Artisans was founded in 2006 by Richard Cunningham and Katie Doyle, who have been intertwined with the people and gorillas of the region since 1980. Richard and Katie began working with women's groups and artisan associations, taking traditional arts and developing sustainable businesses to support the communities living adjacent to gorilla habitat.

The Products

The exquisite baskets woven by the women of Nkuringo are of traditional Ugandan design. Each artisan has developed her own style and personally tags and signs her work. Most baskets take between 20-30 hours to weave.

The Rwandan Peace baskets are woven by the women of the Kinigi Weavers Association, in a small village near Volcanoes National Park. Each basket is hand-crafted from sisal and consists of literally thousands of stitches. The pattern tells an ancient story of friends walking together, visiting neighbors along the way. These baskets now stand as a symbol of peace and reconciliation in a country rebuilding itself after the genocide.

The unique wood carvings reflect the artisans' use of gorilla motifs, including the silverback and his family, on bowls, candlesticks, ornaments and more. Each artist displays an individual interpretation of these remarkable creatures living in the forests nearby.

The 100% organic teas and coffee are grown and harvested by local cooperatives on the hills nearby Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. This misty environment provides the optimal climate for growing premium tea and coffee.

The candles, bags, scarves and ties are hand painted by a group of artists trained through Virunga Artisans. Using both traditional Rwandan designs and gorilla scenes from the forest, each item is truly a work of art.

All of the proceeds from the sale of Virunga Artisan products go to wages based on fair trade principles for the artists or to the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP).

You can buy and enjoy these exquisite works of art, provide much needed income to the artisans, and help save the endangered mountain gorilla by purchasing Virunga Artisan products at www.VirungaArt.com.

The International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP) is a coalition of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Fauna and Flora International and World Wide Fund for Nature. Formed in 1991, IGCP ensures the conservation of mountain gorillas and their afromontane forest habitat.

Contact

For more information, contact AWF's Craig Sholley at +1-202-939-3339 or chsholley@awf.org.