Happy Bruno is a co-founder of the Bwindi Conservation for Generations Foundation, BCGF . BCGF is a registered non-profit in Uganda, its mission is to integrate conservation campaigns with civic enterprises that enrich the lives of humans and sustain the biodiversity of the Rift Valley region.

Happy, his family and his community live amidst the mist-laden mountains adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Carpeted by one of Uganda’s most ancient and most biologically diverse rainforests, the park is home to a full half of earth’s remaining mountain gorillas and a myriad species of fauna and flora. Surprisingly, a small number of elephants, both savannah elephants and forest elephants, inhabit the gorilla highlands.

Tragically, poaching continues in and around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In 2020, Rafiki, a beloved silverback and the leader of the Nkuringo gorilla family was killed by a poacher hunting for bush pig within the boundaries of the park; a profoundly disorienting experience for Happy and his community.

Happy believes that engaging local communities in meaningful conservation-driven initiatives can lead poachers away from poaching and restore the dignity of both humans and non-humans. GMFER, Happy and BCGF are in the process of finalizing the details for multiple such campaigns; please see “Happy Bruno’s Uganda”

Recently Happy Bruno was elected to the office of councilor (LCIII) for Kashija ward, Rubuguri Town Council, Kisoro District. #GMFER is unabashedly pleased with the outcome.

The Wild Olive Tree Camp, is a community-run bush camp situated at the border of Kruger National Park within the lush and abundant Manyeleti Game Reserve.

“Whilst the elders are telling their stories around the campfire, you can hear the distant bells of the cattle returning home. This signals the end of the day. The night then awakens with the hyena calling and the King of Manyeleti, the lion starts roaring; telling you that the wilderness is alive.” The Wild Olive Tree Camp

GMFER is pleased and privileged to work in collaboration with the Wild Olive Tree Camp in Manyeleti to host “Mambas in the Park”. Mambas in the Park is a ~monthly event that dismantles historic conservation paradigms and amplifies the agency of indigenous voices in the conversation about conservation.

The Wild Olive Tree Camp (WOTC) is unique in that it is owned and operated -entirely- by the Mnisi community, a community with ancient ties to the land. Historically, the Mnisi were a hunter-gather community and sustained themselves predominantly through cattle farming.

Solar powered tent facilities, a dining area located on a dry-river bed, a lovely pool for swimming, warm and friendly staff and surroundings teeming with bird life in dense bush, all complete the picture of rustic eloquence at WOTC.

Visitors and guests to WOTC experience a different Africa, one that invokes stories of old and reimagines a different future for the wild children of Africa. A future that lives at the intersection of the old and the new, welcoming the voices of the indigenous on behalf of the survival of Africa’s wild heritage.

GMFER is grateful to WOTC for its willingness and enthusiasm in working with us to make “Mambas in the Park” a reality.

The Black Mambas Anti-Poaching Unit is the first all-female, all-indigenous anti-poaching unit in the world.

The all-women Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit patrols the boundaries of the Balule Nature Reserve, part of the Greater Kruger region in South Africa, home to some of Africa’s most iconic and endangered wildlife. Since their founding in 2013, the Mambas have achieved a 63% reduction in poaching incidents in their area of operation. Snaring, one of the worst threats to animals within the park, was drastically reduced almost overnight by their presence.

The award-winning Mambas are a success story on many levels. Patrolling unarmed, they have reduced animosity in surrounding communities by decreasing the Park’s reliance on armed guards. Much of the poaching problem in Kruger National Park comes from within these communities. The creation of the park itself in 1926 involved displacing indigenous people, many of whose descendants now live in the surrounding towns and feel little connection to Kruger and its wildlife. The Mambas serve as ambassadors to the schools within the towns, fostering greater understanding and engagement among the youngest community members. Many of these youngsters, including the children of the Black Mambas themselves, have never seen the iconic wildlife the Mambas protect.

GMFER works with the Black Mamba Anti Poaching Unit to disrupt the prevailing paradigm; one that keeps indigenous women and children estranged from Africa’s wild world and its wild heritage. For more about our alliance and collaborative work, please refer to “Mambas in the Park”.

The Omysha Foundation through its VONG (Voice Of New Generation) Movement gives the new generation opportunities and a platform where these youngsters can develop a deeper understanding of global social and environmental issues, and influence the strategies of our global institutions.

Through their project on endangered animals, VONG hopes to create a community of thoughtful and action oriented people who stand up for the following critical demands:

• All elephants in all nations should be included in IUCN Appendix I.
• No trade in rhino horn. Calls to legalize rhino trade could negatively impact the numbers of rhinos in the wild and encourage poaching.
• No live capture and trade of wild animals to zoos.
• Use of pangolins in traditional medicines should be banned by CITES.