Red Rocks and Monkeyfriendly, Inc. are partnering together to create more community-based conservation projects.
Stay tuned to this space for our updates!
We promote environmental protection and climate change action by raising community awareness and curiosity toward the vitality of environmental protection and management. We believe that the success of a community and its environment are inextricably linked. Our Environmental Conservation Initiative includes community education & action, research & volunteer opportunities, and paving the way for environmentally conscious tourism for development.
Welcome to Rwanda!
Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is highly elevated, giving it the name "land of thousand hills", with its geography dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the east, with numerous lakes throughout the country.
The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. Rwanda has a population of over 12.6 million living on 26,338 km (10,169 mi ) of land, and is the most densely populated mainland African country.
AGRITOURISM
We work with community partners and cooperatives to host farm tours and farm activities, like planting indigenous fruit trees and learning about domestic farm animals and horticulture.
IGIHOHO PROJECT
Our “igihoho seed bags” are made from biodegradable banana bark which nourish the soil as they decompose. These eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based plastic containers contribute to soil conservation and are inspired by Rwanda’s ban on plastic bags.
COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE PROJECT
We promote awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights, family planning, nutrition, and proper hygiene and sanitation through our Community Healthcare Project. We educate vulnerable communities, particularly targeting historically marginalized people who depend on protected areas.
SOCIAL PROTECTION PROJECT
We help single mothers and other vulnerable populations secure permanent housing and facilitate long-term education for school-aged children.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
We equip post-secondary school-aged children with computer literacy and vocational skills training, including baking, catering, carving, sewing, and artisan skills, at our interim vocational training center. We believe skilled trade and art offer a bright future and promote self-sufficiency.
ARTS AND CULTURE CONSERVATION
We established an arts and crafts gallery to promote cultural music, dance, and drama. Our local partner artists produce a variety of artistic materials made from canvas and acrylic paints with messages about protecting the plants and animals that cannot speak for themselves. Our art gallery, based in the popular gorilla trekking town Kinigi, not only preserves cultural artifacts but also is a place tourists can view depictions of our cultural heritage.
SPORTS FOR CONSERVATION
The world of sports offers a powerful and natural platform for participation, exchange and inclusion. Through our sports program, we bring together communities and individuals to discuss environmental conservation, raising local awareness of the need to protect our environment.
HYGIENE AND SANITATION
Our staff and volunteers provide lessons on hygiene and how to prevent waterborne diseases. We welcome organizations and individuals to propose viable solutions on how we can scale up our efforts to ensure access to clean water, including purchasing water tanks to harvest rainwater.