Rwanda's gorilla park expansion comes with a plan to help 547 households start businesses
A five-year partnership will back families due to move to a new village near Volcanoes National Park, and aims to reach 3,500 over time.
Kigali — Families affected by the planned expansion of Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park are to get help starting businesses and reaching markets under a five-year project signed in Kigali on Monday.
The African Wildlife Foundation and Entrepreneurial Solutions Partners, a pan-African consulting and investment firm, will first work with 547 households due to be resettled in the planned Smart Green Village in Musanze District. They aim to extend the scheme to more than 3,500 households over time.
The Rwanda Development Board plans to enlarge the park by about 3,740 hectares to give mountain gorillas more habitat. The village project covers housing and infrastructure, while the new partnership targets enterprises, finance and access to markets.
Foundation chief executive Kaddu Sebunya said conservation must go hand in hand with economic opportunity.
The partners will also work in Uganda's Kidepo Valley, building on work with 2,280 cotton farmers and supporting shea production for a further 4,320 people.
Source: The New Times via allAfrica, November 2026.
