Community Tourism goes a long way in ensuring that the local people benefit from tourism and in turn ensure the sustainability of tourist attractions.
Brick Making
Pure clay soil is mixed with water and covered with banana leaves or grass for 2 days. A piece of timber functions as frame for the bricks. After the frame has been filled with the soil-water-mixture, the newly formed brick is detached from the frame with another piece of timber and some water.
Bee Keeping
Members of various bee keeping associations produce bee hives that they place in swamps or forest areas rich in certain types of plants. Depending on what kind of honey is desired, these plants for example could be banana trees or certain flowers. Honey is an important means to cure a number of local diseases, so that it is shared with traditional doctors. The remaining honey is sold to local people.
Traditional healing and the Medical garden
The Rwandan traditional healers use a total of 138 different types of local herbs. Among the 23 diseases that they regularly treat are ulcers, skin diseases like scabies, complications with the monthly period of females, breast pain after delivery, allergies, snake bites, sexual problems, and even heart attacks.
During a visit to the local traditional healers you can learn about the use of different herbs and certain treatments, or simply listen to the rich stories of these interesting people.
Handicraft production
The production of local handicrafts is one of the few sources of income generated through tourism at the moment. The formidable crafts are sold as souvenirs in shops or at stalls in Kigali or Butare. Among the various products arebeautiful African wood carvings, baskets, pots, saucers, old masks and swords, as well as the famous Rwandan banana leaf cards.
Sustainable farming
Over the centuries farmers in Rwanda have developed their own special methods of sustainable farming processes. Some selected plantations are regularly visited by our groups, and visitors are always impressed by the comprehensive thoughts given to the activities and the sophisticated traditional methods used. Farming products include fruits such as bananas, as well as vegetables such as manioc, sweet potatoes or millet.
Traditional dancing
The famous Rwandan dancing troups are known under the name Intore. Various local groups in different regions of the country have specialized in performing traditional dances. Two of these groups are, for example, the troops at Ruhengeri or Akagera National Park. Apart from regular shows for the local people, special presentations for visitor groups can be booked.
