Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best mountain gorilla trekking destination in the world. However, gorilla trekking is not the only activity you can do while in Bwindi. You can visit the local people to learn about their way of life or visit a charity organization.
There are various charity organizations in Bwindi. If you want to support or donate to any, make sure it is a genuine organization, since some people set up fake organizations in the name of charity.
Bwindi Eco Children’s Home
Bwindi Eco Children’s Home was founded in 2013 by Francis Byamukama, who grew up in poverty but later became a Grade 3 teacher. He observed that many children faced the same conditions he had experienced years earlier.
Francis wanted to help these children, but his salary was not enough to support them all. He decided to go back to school and studied for a Bachelor’s in Social Work and Administration. After graduating, he returned to his community and started programs to help poor children in his village attend school.
With community support, Bwindi Eco Children’s Home now provides full-time care and education to over 60 orphans and offers schooling to more than 400 children in the community. This is one of the successful charity organizations you can visit while in Bwindi National Park.
The Kellermann Foundation
The Kellermann Foundation was founded in 2004 by Scott Kellermann and his wife, Carol. Scott is a family physician and tropical medicine specialist based in California. They first visited Uganda in 2000 with the Episcopal Medical Missions Foundation to assess the needs of the Batwa Pygmies living in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
The Kellermanns started by treating 200 to 300 Batwa under trees daily. They later built a clinic that has since grown into Bwindi Community Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in Uganda. They focused on learning the language and customs of the Batwa people, building relationships, sharing the gospel, creating community development projects, and helping build homes for the Batwa.
Ride for a Woman
Ride for a Woman was established in Bwindi to help women struggling with domestic violence, poverty, and HIV. It started by renting out bicycles and later expanded into accommodation, weaving, and sewing projects. They also organize biking safaris within and outside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Change a Life Bwindi
Change a Life Bwindi was started to help people in Ruhija come out of poverty. The organization runs different projects aimed at empowering the community to build secure and sustainable futures for themselves and for Bwindi National Park.
Friends of Education Bwindi
The Friends of Education Bwindi charity organization focuses on improving the quality of education in the Bwindi community.
Best Time to Visit Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be visited all year round. However, the best time to visit, especially for gorilla trekking, is from June to September and December to February, when the roads and trekking trails are in good condition.
Visiting charity organizations, however, can be done at any time of the year.
Combining Charity Visits With Your Bwindi Trip
Many travelers choose to pair a gorilla trekking day with a visit to one of these organizations, giving their trip a deeper connection to the communities living alongside the park. Since charity visits aren’t tied to seasonal trekking conditions, they offer a flexible way to round out a Bwindi itinerary, whether you’re spending an afternoon at Bwindi Eco Children’s Home, touring Bwindi Community Hospital, or learning about Ride for a Woman’s projects in Buhoma.
