This year on September 2, Rwanda will host the 12th Kwita Izina, (gorilla naming ceremony) inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born.

In the 11 years since the event was established, 216 mountain gorilla babies have been named in a celebration of nature together with the communities who protect the majestic mountain gorillas.

The event is expected to bring together thousands of Rwandans, friends of Rwanda and celebrities to Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcanoes National Park. See more at http://www.rdb.rw/kwitizina/.

Launched in 2005, Kwita Izina, a uniquely Rwandan event, is not only a celebration of newly born mountain gorilla babies, but also serves to raise awareness of the importance of the protection of species and their habitats at community, national, regional and international levels. Last year’s Kwita Izina saw almost 500 international and 20,000 local attendees.

With a few months leading to the 2016 edition, here are the top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to be a part of Kwita Izina 2016.

1.Kwita Izina; a hybrid platform for Conservation and Sustainable Tourism

Kwita Izina 2016 has evolved into a hybrid event on the global calendar, with a series of activities focused on conservation and sustainable tourism. These activities, which will take place from August 27 to September 2, include the naming Ceremony, a ‘Conversation on Conservation’ Conference, a Conservation and Tourism exhibition, community project launches, a fundraising gala dinner and unique to only this event; Kwita Izina Scientific tours.

International, regional and local conservation players will table and discuss issues on the preservation of wildlife and biodiversity through a ‘Conservation on Conservation’ forum while tourism businesses will showcase their products and services to global buyers through the Conservation and Tourism Exhibition and the B2B.

2. Conservation is a celebration of life!

Kwita Izina or ‘to give a name’ in the native language Kinyarwanda, is a celebration of a new life. The event is held annually in September to name Rwanda’s new baby gorillas. The name attributed to a mountain gorilla baby plays a significant role in the ongoing programme of monitoring each individual gorilla in its family group and habitat.

When this first started, gorilla naming was an internal programme used by Park field staff and conservation partners.

Once considered one of the world’s most endangered species and on the verge of extinction, the number of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif has seen remarkable growth with a 26 per cent population increase from 2004-2010. A census is ongoing to determine current overall numbers in the Virunga Massif. Conserving these species and their eco systems as well as biodiversity at large is critical for us since we depend on these natural resources and therefore, it is important for us to share this message with the world through this platform.

3. Mountain Gorilla Baby Twins!

Twin gorillas are not only extremely rare but they are also absolutely adorable. We are excited to see twins being born in Rwanda for the 3rd time; the first pair was born in 2005 and the second in 2012, this is truly a blessing on our conservation efforts.

4. Rwanda’s commendable conservation policies and tourism revenue sharing scheme

In Rwanda, conservation and development are inseparable because our living natural resources are one of our greatest social and economic assets. We have invested in building awareness about the value of our parks especially to the communities that live around the parks.

In addition, we have established an innovative scheme whereby 5 per cent of all tourism revenue goes back to the communities surrounding the parks.

The fund has helped build schools, hospitals, community centres and other community development projects. Through the transboundary collaboration between the only three countries in the world with Mountain Gorillas namely Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have seen significant growth in gorilla numbers since the first census was conducted in 1989 when there were only 320 mountain gorillas; in 2010 there were 400. This number is predicted to have more than doubled in the latest census, the results of which are due in early 2017.

5. Igitaramo and Community Project Launches

Each year we celebrate and launch the community projects that have resulted from the tourism revenue sharing scheme in the past year. A series of launches will be announced shortly at which time a community celebration, Igitaramo, will be staged.

This is RDB’s way of saying thank you to our communities for helping us in our conservation efforts. Igitaramo celebrations are planned nearby each of Rwanda’s three major National Parks (Akagera, Nyungwe and Volcanoes).

6. Gala Dinner at the new Kigali Convention Centre (August 27)

This will mark the start of a 5-day conservation and sustainable tourism series of events that will lead to the highlight event, the naming ceremony.Conservationists, philanthropists, tourism industry players and Captains of Industry will gather at the glittering fundraising gala dinner to network and build partnerships in the quest to protect biodiversity globally.

Through this event, Rwanda will raise funds for conservation projects that have been identified as priorities for KI 2016.The projects include creating a permanent site for the Mountain Gorilla Skeletal Project, establishment of a sanctuary for Grey Crowned Cranes and establishment of an eco-lodge outside the main entrance gate to Akagera National Park.

7. Tourism and Conservation Exhibition (28-29 August)

This platform will bring together top quality tourism buyers looking for new African travel markets and regional tourism boards and conservationists showcasing their products.

The exhibition will provide networking opportunities and host several lively presentations throughout the two days. The event will open to the public on Sundaywhen local consumers will learn about our domestic tourism products and services, and will benefit from special offers promoted at the various exhibition stands.

8. Conversation on Conservation Forum (August 29-30)

The high-level ‘Conversation on Conservation’ forum returns after a successful launch in 2015. It provides a unique platform linking conservation with sustainable tourism, embracing all layers of the value chain, from community to governments, private sector to NGOs, scientists and researchers.

The overall objective of the ‘Conversation on Conservation’ (COC) is to discuss Africa’s common challenges; debate best solutions and ideas through group workshop forums; present proposals for activation to a High-level VIP Panel for conversation / debate; and agree on resolutions, outcomes and commitment to implementation.

Keynote speakers are important influencers in the Conservation world and will be announced shortly.

9. Customized Scientific Tours (August 31)

Featuring on the Kwita Izina week calendar for the first time ever are scientific tours. Through these exclusive tours, a limited number of visitors will have an opportunity to participate in a ‘behind the scenes’ conservation tour experience.

This is a truly unique opportunity to interface with park officials, scientists and researchers, and to experience first-hand what goes on behind the scenes in Rwanda’s incredible mountain gorilla conservation programmes.

10. Naming Ceremony (2nd September)

The gorilla naming ceremony featuring culturalperformances and renditions from local entertainers is the climax of the Kwita Izina week. The event convenes over 20,000 guests in Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcano Mountains in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Every year important playersfrom both the conservation and tourism industries attend the event.

Naming a mountain gorilla baby is considered a great honour. Baby Namers are carefully chosen to include individuals both globally and locally that have made a great contribution to conservation efforts both in Rwanda and the world.

Globally renowned individuals are often called on to name the babies, just last year; Dr. Allan Karlsson, senior conservation advisor at the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF);Amy Vedder, a pioneer of conservation work with mountain gorillas and Yale University Professor;the manager of Phinda Reserve that donated lions to Akagera National Park, Simon Naylor; senior fellow for Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas at the U.S. Department of State, Dr. Janaki Alavalapati; the founder and CEO of the African Leadership Group, Fred Swaniker, the managing director of Best Western Plus Lusaka Grand Hotel, Dr. Hans J. Heuer; and the son of the founder of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project in Rwanda, Frank Keesling, among others.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw