NORTHERN PROVINCE

MUSANZE — Volunteers from park communities who actively participate in the conservation of the Volcano National Park have received mobile telephones donated by MTN.

The 205 phones handed out this week in Kinigi, Musanze district, had been pledged during the recently concluded gorilla naming ceremony.

The beneficiaries included former poachers who turned into conservationists, members of Potter club, animators, law enforcement informants, and local authorities.

During the function, Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN) in conjunction with Protected area Biodiversity Conservation-PUB, also gave the volunteers facilities to help them keep off straying animals.

The beneficiaries drawn from all sectors adjacent to the park, got wall maintenance facilities including spades, hammers, stone breaking nails and touches.

At the same function, area residents were given other materials worth Frw2m donated by Lynn Colliar and Gleen, journalists from Global TV-Canada who had previously visited the area. The materials included rain coats, nets, and toothbrushes.

Speaking at the occasion, district Mayor, Celestin Karabayinga called upon the area residents to utilise the benefits from the park to fight poverty and stop ‘over sleeping’.

Prosper Uwingeri, the chief park warden, said that rewarding the volunteers is one way of promoting community conservation and motivating partners in conservation.

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