Tourist Trekking continues to be the main financing source for Mountain Gorilla Conservation. In the protected areas; the impenetrable forests in Uganda, Rwanda, and The Democratic Republic of Congo, trekking is managed through a permits system meant to limit the number of tourists getting in proximity to the Gorillas. The increased demand for funding towards mountain Gorilla conservation has led to an increase in the number of permits made available annually by habituating more families. If not well managed this increase could cause social disturbance and stress to the gorillas, increase the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases, and attenuate conservation efforts. This poses a challenge around how to create sustainable sources of non-trekking revenues to fund mountain gorilla conservation activities
My Gorilla Family
The Naturalist a Ugandan conservation company has launched the Home of the Gorillas Initiative, which seeks to commercialize activities to generate non-trekking revenues towards Gorilla conservation. Working in Uganda that is also home to more than 50% of the world’s remaining mountain Gorillas, The Naturalist is leveraging technology to enable global community engagement with the gorillas, thereby achieving alternative channels to fund gorilla conservation.
Overall Objectives
Alternative Revenue Channels
Increase Community Interest
Engage Surrounding Community
The Naturalist has a great team and an exclusive 5 - year contract to run non-trekking revenue generation activity with The Uganda Wildlife Authority
Our Family
Team experience brings a mix of commercializing technology in Uganda and Connection to the community living in proximity with the Gorillas
David GONAHASA
David GONAHASA
Co-Founder
David is a Ugandan entrepreneur, he is the co-founder of Home of the Gorillas, a conservation enterprise using technology to create alternative means to fund gorilla conservation. David has been involved in African tourism since 2013 when he founded Roundbob.com an online travel agency, and most recently Tripesa a software as a service platform helping tourism and experience operators digitize their businesses for growth. David built his first tech business in 2003; Mediaflower.com and Marketuganda.com. He has worked in Advertising in Rwanda and Uganda, IT and in Mobile payments as CMO for Mobicash Africa supporting brand and commercial growth in 7 markets across the African Continent. David is passionate about the development of entrepreneurship in Uganda and during the COVID lockdowns worked with the Regional Universities Forum to build www.smehub.africa a virtual platform to help support SMEs across Africa. He continues to mentor with the program. David was named Uganda Innovation Achiever of the Year 2017 (MTN Innovation Awards), an an Alibaba eFounder Fellow and a member of The Africa List and was part of the inaugural cohort of the IE business school Social Innovators Retreat.
Fidelis KANYAMUNYU
Fidelis KANYAMUNYU
Co-Founder
Fidelis was born in Rubuguri, Kisoro district. As a child he went hunting in the forest and grew into a poacher when the conservation areas were carved out. Fidelis was one of the 1st community members to appreciate the need of conservation and championed community awareness and was awarded the position of honorary warden with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Fidelis has built a career around tourism in the Bwindi conservation area. He is a Professionally trained guide, Proprietor of Bwindi Forest lodge, Director Nkuringo Cultural Centre, Director of Itambira Lodge and The Naturalist. Fidelis is a former member of parliament aspirant in his community and believes his involvement in politics should achieve an increased government interest in conservation.
Terence CHAMBATI
Terence CHAMBATI
Co-Founder / COO
Inspired by the African Renaissance, Terence is a systems change agent helping purpose driven individual and organizational brands unlearn, relearn & navigate complexities as they sustainably & exponentially scale BeyondTomorrow. Terence is a Co-founder of Huchi Capital, a conservation enterprise harnessing and conserving the impact and sweet returns of the African honey bees. He is a Certified Digital Transformation Executive and member of faculty for the Institute for Digital Business Strategy. Terence is also an Executive ScalingUp Advisor, ExO Consultant with ScalingUp Africa Advisors, a business strategy and exponential organizations (ExO) advisory firm scaling up exponential entrepreneurship in Africa through business re-education. He holds a MBA – Conservation Leadership (ALU School of Business) and a BCom - Marketing Management (University of South Africa).
Thalma BYENKYA
Thalma BYENKYA
Events Director
With over 20 years’ experience designing, planning and delivering events in Uganda, East Africa and the USA, Thalma brings the needed experience to execute the annual mountain Gorilla festival. Thalma led the Accounts team at Silk events where she executed some of the largest events in Uganda from concerts to corporate and government events.
Adebayo FATOBA
Adebayo FATOBA
CMO
Adebayo (Bayo) Fatoba is an event production and entertainment pundit who enjoys creating amazing experiences for entertainment consumers. Co-founding an organization with his friends called "Filmboyz Inc", a movie production outfit which further birthed a sister company called "The Human Discretion Company" with presence in Lagos, Accra, Kampala, Johannesburg and London. Understanding the need for brand partnership, sponsorship, promotion as well as consumer needs. He loves to manage the process from concept creation, management to flawless execution. Bayo has played a part in putting together the launching of two multinational companies in Nigeria, understanding the local terrain from a well-traveled international perspective. He has partnered with several brands and corporate across the African continent including Wema bank (purple account campus activation), Hennessy (talent management with 605 international) Danfoss Nigeria launch, Bitzer Nigeria launch, Airtel Trace music star (Trace Urban TV) , Viac foundation “kick out malaria Africa project", and also a consultant for Roundbob in Uganda. Bayo loves entertainment and has avid interest in music, the talents and processes in bringing great experiences to life. He likes to meet new people and go to new places as these experiences feed the ideas that are always buzzing in his head. He has then learnt to take those ideas and concepts, turn them into real life events and experiences across the board.
Daniel OKALANY
Daniel OKALANY
Co-CTO
Daniel Okalany is a senior developer at Kola Studios with vast experience in developing web systems, gaming and iOS applications. He has developed several applications like Wound Metrics app (which studies patient wounds to generate data about size, width, depth and risks), Philly Next app (which shows places in Philadelphia ranked by popularity) and games like Matatu which is Uganda’s most downloaded game.