Engage Local Communities
A future for gorillas, built by Congolese communities.
GRACE was founded on the principle that for gorillas to be protected, we must work hand-in-hand with
the local communities that share their tropical forest habitat.
Local and Indigenous communities protect 80% of the world’s biodiversity. They are the experts when it comes to protecting and restoring our planet’s tropical forests.
A strong conservation ethos has existed in our region for generations. Communities near GRACE have a strong connection to the forest. As a community-led organization, GRACE respects this relationship and operates under the blessings of traditional kings (mwamis) and in partnership with local governance structures.
GRACE Aspirations for
Engaging Local Communities
We are passionately committed to community-led conservation as a basis for our work.
We invest in building capacity in DR Congo so that local communities have the tools and resources for excellent conservation area management.
We nurture strong in-situ conservation partnerships, especially with local Congolese organizations.
We seek a conservation model that allows communities, biodiversity, and forests to flourish.
We advocate for the voices of women and youth in conservation decision-making.
Focus Projects
Engaging Youth
School Programs
Youth are the fastest growing and largest demographic in DRC and GRACE seeks to empower the next generation of conservationists. GRACE offers classroom visits with highly trained educators for students in grades Primary 3 and Primary 6. Over a series of visits, GRACE educators deliver lessons designed for young learners that focus on fostering pride and empathy for Grauer’s gorillas, other wildlife, and forests. Rooted in conservation education best practices, these lessons seek to increase knowledge, promote positive attitudes towards wildlife, and inspire simple and age-appropriate actions to protect wildlife and wild places.
“Old and young, protecting the wild doesn’t need the age, just the courage.”
Conservation Clubs
GRACE supports conservation clubs at primary schools near the sanctuary. These conservation clubs are open to any interested youth in the region and are inclusive of all students, ranging in age from 3 to 20 years old.
Engaging Women
Many of GRACE’s community engagement initiatives focus on the important role of women. As farmers and collectors of firewood and water, women are the primary users of natural resources. As primary caregivers in the home, women are also the first educators and role models for sustainable behaviors. Women have their finger on the pulse of their communities so they can advise on what conservation approaches will and will not work and encourage behavior change in others. Therefore, it is critical that they have a seat at the table in conservation decision-making.
Alternative Protein Projects
GRACE is working to shield vulnerable people and wildlife during food-insecure times by supporting domestic livestock initiatives started by local women’s groups. We also invite local community members to the GRACE farm where they can learn about beneficial planting techniques, irrigation, soil science, and crops that can be added to the farms or gardens in their compounds.
Fuel-Efficient Stoves
In our region, wood is the primary source of fuel for cooking. As the human population expands, there is more intrusion into gorilla habitat to collect firewood. GRACE collaborates with women’s groups to build and install fuel-efficient stoves to reduce the amount of wood needed per household. Collecting firewood is challenging work and takes time and effort. Women and children, those primarily responsible for collection, will be freed up for other activities and will breathe cleaner air in their kitchens. GRACE continues to support trainers from the Women’s Associations in leading these workshops; together we have built over 1,000 stoves in the surrounding area and counting!
Engaging Communities
RADIO BROADCASTS
GRACE educators regularly broadcast conservation-themed programming on the local radio station, Radio Tayna. Their program, Echoes of GRACE, features content delivered in local languages and through a variety of methods, including dramas, interviews with local leaders and influencers, and song.
In 2021, GRACE completed its first-ever evaluation of radio programming and confirmed that radio was an effective tool for increasing conservation knowledge in DR Congo. Radio Tayna estimates its total broadcast area at 40,000+ people, making radio a valuable tool for educating and engaging with communities in the greater Tayna region.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Each year, GRACE educators host large-scale community events to celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8th) and World Gorilla Day (September 24th). These are highly anticipated by the communities, with more than 6,000 people in each village participating in each event.
The events provide opportunities for the community to come together and celebrate the importance of gorillas, the forest, and conservation. They often involve public speeches, special radio broadcasts, presentations from school children, pledge walls, music, dancing, and a group conservation activity such as picking up litter or planting trees. The events raise awareness and provide a collective sense of commitment to conservation among community members.
“Women are important in the conservation of nature because they are the first educators; from their education, they guide their children on the conservation of the nature.”
Community Engagement Facts
- 91% of lands occupied by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are in good or moderate ecological condition.
- Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities protect approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity through stewardship of Indigenous-managed lands.
- Most people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo rely on agriculture and forest resources for their survival. This makes them the most invested custodians of these ecosystems.