Art for Gorillas

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 30 2009 | By: Julie

Today’s lesson combines foundational art skills followed with more creative expression. Below is a sample of some of the work done by our students during Eric’s lesson in drawing the male and female human figure.

Eric explains to the kids step by step how to draw the human figure in proportion.

A student reaches for additional colored pencils.

Female human figure sample drawings.

Male human figure sample drawings.

Students’ worksheet.

Before class ended, we used the day’s drawing lesson as a way to segway to a discussion about the importance of valuing and protecting one’s own body. Unfortunately, there is a high prevalence of child molestation in Rwanda and so AoC thought it would be valuable to discuss this issue with the students. I do believe we must empower kids by making sure they understand that sexual abuse is wrong and that it is ok to come to authority figures for help. Fortunately, Rwandan kids and parents are now encouraged by the government to report any sexual misconduct committed by elders, teachers, or others.

Tags: art, children, conservation education, rwanda

No responses yet

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 27 2009 | By: Julie

If Rwandans are teaching their fellow Rwandans that they should love and protect mountain gorillas and their habitat, it makes sense that those teachers should have actually seen a mountain gorilla, right? Well, through my years living and working in the northern province of Rwanda, I’ve come to the realization that most Rwandans, including all of the Rwandan AoC staff members, have never seen a gorilla in its natural habitat. Most say it the price of a permit—$40 for Rwandan citizens—is out of their budget.

I think it’s vitally important for Rwandans to feel connected to the animals the world wants them to protect, and I think there’s no better way to develop this connection than to experiencing the gorillas in the wild. So, a few weeks ago, the AoC Rwandan staff got to see gorillas for the first time on a trek we organized with the park authority (ORTPN) and Amahoro Tours. Here’s an account of the day written by staff translator and teacher Innocent UWIZEYE:

No one missed our 6am meeting time with Amahoro Tours at the Muhabura Hotel. Our team was composed of 6 AoC staff members including Eric, Mugabe, Aimable, Phocas, Donat, and myself. We were driven to the ORTPN office where we met François and Puppy, our guides. They first briefed us about the background of Sabyinyo, the group we were about to visit, and then we were driven to Volcanoes National Park (PNV).

Before reaching the park fence, we walked for about 20 minutes through an area that was named after one of Sabyinyo’s group members, Gihishamwotsi. Here we had another briefing relating to how we should behave vis-à-vis with the gorillas. We needed to observe a 7 meter distance, avoid littering, switch off our phones, avoid flash while taking pictures, and make little noise.

We entered PNV at almost 9 am. After covering a short distance, we saw the first gorilla up a tree looking for leaves to eat. It was really amazing to look at it above our heads! It did not care about our presence and just kept on eating leaves. After some minutes it got down from the tree and passed us to join its family members which we were walking to see.

Most of the gorillas had just finished eating and were resting nearby. It was really marvelous to look almost all the Sabyinyo Group members gathered in the same place, under the leadership of the silverback Guhonda, the chief! He was sitting down surrounded by his wives and babies just relaxing. Phocas, as most with of the team, could not believe his eyes that he was seeing live gorillas, for he had only seen pictures of them before. He was so amazed by them and he said he thought humans and gorillas really can be good neighbors.

A few gorillas were busy in the forest. While others were resting peacefully, one of them climbed up a tree looking for some leaves and unknowingly disturbed a hive of bees. The bees reacted by stinging the gorilla and the rest of the group, who were forced to move to a safer place. We followed them and as we moved, a large gorilla who was not the lead silverback but a sort deputy chief suddenly ran towards us, frightening some of us. After looking at all of us very proudly, he sat down and exploded with strong-smelling gas! On our way to the new place where the group had moved to, the deputy chief tried to hinder us and but our guides helped us find our way to the rest of the group. We went through a narrow way crossed by bamboo and countless other species of plants.

After one hour of watching the gorillas, we were told it was time to leave. As soon as we began to walk out, we started talking about our experience. The guides took the opportunity to inform us about how the park uses the revenue obtained from tourism. They told us that it mainly helps in improving the livelihood of the population living near the park and is used to fund the building of schools, water tanks, health clinics, and other facilities. It is also used in supporting associations of former poachers, handicrafts producers, and other groups. The guides also requested that we become advocates for the park wherever we go.

At the end of our trip, we were offered certificates testifying that we visited Sabyinyo Group. Afterwards, all of us headed for AoC Office where we joined our Director Julie and some other staff members who were curious about our trip. Each person in the group took a turn to talk about his favorite memories. It was an experience none of us will ever forget.

Tags: mountain gorillas, park guides, protected area, tourism

2 responses so far

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 25 2009 | By: Julie

Rwanda celebrated its 5th annual Kwita Izina–or Gorilla Naming ceremony–this past week in June. The high point of the celebration was the christening of 18 new mountain gorilla babies born in Volcanoes National Park over the previous 12 months. However, Kwita Izina also included multiple other events in the preceding days including a cross-country cycling tour, a conservation conference in Kigali, and an “Igitaramo” party for the community.

The official ceremony took place this year on June 20, featuring Guest of Honor Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza and several other notable guests including famed American zoo keeper Jack Hanna and South African musician Chris Chameleon. Also in attendance were members of the Rwandan government and private sector, UN representatives, conservationists from around the world, and thousands of local and international supporters.

Igitaramo
The night before the naming ceremony, the park authority (ORTPN) hosts “Igitaramo.” This party for park staffers and community members showcases traditional dancing, singing, and athletics.

Intore dancers perform for local communities, district leaders, and international visitors. Mount Sabyinyo, a volcano within Rwanda’s Virunga Massiff, loams in the background.

Art of Conservation students sing “Mu Birunga” or “In Virunga,” as it translates in English. This song and dance performance celebrates Rwanda’s greatest natural resource, the mountain gorilla, and the interconnections between the natural world and people. (Please click here for more on AoC’s preparations for Kwita Izina)

Grilled corn on the cob and soft drinks were enjoyed by many along with dancing.

Kwita Izina, the 5th Annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony.

Beginning as early at 7:00 am, spectators, honored guests, performers, and the media began to gather at Kinigi’s Cultural Village, the site of Kwita Izina.

Performers dressed as mountain gorillas relax and take in the day’s festivities while human primates behind them take in the sights.

Chris Chameleon, a musician from South Africa who was given the honor of naming one of the baby gorillas, sang a song in his native tongue, Afrikaans.

With the entertainment program shortened, AoC students and other local community groups did not perform on stage, but did enjoy the ceremony anyway.

Tags: Kwita Izina, mountain gorillas, rwanda

No responses yet

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 12 2009 | By: Julie

For 2009, the “Year of the Gorilla”, Art of Conservation wanted to make sure to make our presence known at Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s annual naming ceremony for the year’s new baby mountain gorillas. Over the years, Kwita Izina has grown from a small grassroots event to an international celebration of Rwanda’s most treasured natural asset.

Art of Conservation, which has its core mission the goal helping the people who live near the gorillas to live healthier lives so that both the human and animal populations can be healthy, want to stress the interconnectedness of the gorillas and the Rwandan people at Kwita Izina.

Art of Conservation has been working on a song and dance performance with our 150 school students called Mu Birunga (In Virunga referring to the home of the gorillas the Virunga Massiff) which serves to deepen the understanding of the connection between people and mountain gorillas.

Our students recently auditioned to perform Mu Birunga in the June 20th Kwita Izina ceremony. District leaders watched the kids perform and were impressed enough to invite them to participate.

Since then, the kids have been working hard to perfect their performance for the big day.

Girls at Nyabitsinde Primary School practice the routine. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Julie demonstrates the dance steps. Photo by Molly Feltner.

District leaders are pleased with the song and dance. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Students practice entering and exiting the stage. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Tags: Kwita Izina, mountain gorillas, one-health, rwanda

One response so far

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 10 2009 | By: Julie

Thank you Nicole for the June 7th donation. We appreciate your interest and financial support. Please keep tuning in.

Today, children are studying how to draw the male and female human head in front and side view. AoC teacher, Eric, demonstrates how to draw properly proportioned faces and the kids put forth a great deal of concentration to make their own drawings accurate.

Following Eric’s directions and demonstrations on the chalkboard, our
students focus on drawing the human head in proper proportions.

Pencils and then later conte crayons are today’s medium.

Richard Reckmeyer, DDS, is visiting Rwanda from the U.S. in hopes of establishing an oral health training program to teach locals how to perform basic teeth cleanings and extractions. His program is modeled on similar successful initiatives in Kenya and Tanzania. He is interested in AoC’s lessons about basic oral health care and wanted to see how many children were following through with AoC’s recommendations for teeth cleaning. (Please click here for AoC’s post on Keeping our Teeth Healthy) Photo by Molly Feltner.

Students enjoy Richard’s kind and engaging attitude even when the doctor asks the tough questions such as, “How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday?”

Richard puts on his best silverback imitation during practice of Mu Birunga. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Tags: art, conservation, gorillas, kids, public health

No responses yet

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 08 2009 | By: Julie

You may recall our request of support for the purchase of 2 rainwater tanks to be used to harvest much needed water at the two schools where we work. (Rainwater Tank Appeal-Kids Staying Healthy)

Fortunately our project was able to endow the purchase, installation, materials, cleaning supplies, and training for a tank per school. I must admit it’s been a much more elaborate activity than I first imagined!

The school directors acted swiftly with the arrangements of transporting the water tanks from Kigali to Kinigi. Once the big black plastic containers were offloaded and resting in the schoolyards, construction of a foundation and the installation process was speedy.

Now, over the next few weeks, we are conducting trainings on the maintenance and usage of the water tanks with the schools’ teachers. They will then take it upon themselves to create a schedule of when the schools’ classrooms and toilets will be cleaned using water from the water tanks and cleaning supplies donated by AoC. Additionally, the new hand-washing stations placed next to each classroom must be maintained with enough water and soap.

Innocent offloading the supplies needed for maintaining the water tanks and cleaning classrooms and toilets. Rushubi Primary School, Kinigi.

Our lesson for the day is finished, children return their drawing boards, and soon the school’s teachers with arrive for our first day of training. Jerry cans, plastic buckets, soap, towels, and more will be distributed to each classroom and block of toilets.

Getting down to business, Valerie translates during the training. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Teachers receive our manual which contain instructions on maintaining the rainwater tanks, the usage of the water, and a list of supplies needed to perform these activities.

We are providing much needed supplies to ensure that these schools are kept clean and sanitary. Sanitary schools means healthier students and a lesser risk of human-animal disease transmission. Brooms and mops for classrooms and toilets. Photo by Molly Feltner.

Tags: gorillas, staying healthy

No responses yet

Category: Art of Conservation (AoC) | Date: Jun 03 2009 | By: Julie

Susan L., thank you for your May 5th donation of $93.50! Your generosity is greatly appreciated from all of us at AoC.

In the Art for Gorillas blog, I’ve been covering many of the activities that our project is undertaking but have neglected to tell you about our recent art lessons in color theory. Briefly, here’s a look at our last few weeks of classes where we’ve focused on practicing color with the students, and in training teachers in art as well.

We insist, or at least we strongly suggest, that each AoC class session is attended be one or more regular classroom teacher as our way of making our project efforts sustainable. Ideally these teachers will improve and expand upon our curricula in next years’ classes as AoC forges ahead to other schools. Two classroom teachers are busy experimenting with primary, secondary, and intermediate colors in the photograph above.

Following primary, secondary, and intermediate color studies, we continue using gouache and move to a lesson on tint, shade, value, and skin tones.

Above, students concentrating on the lesson of the day.

Class ended with the distribution of AoC t-shirts to every student.

Teachers in training were quite pleased as well!

Thank you again to Sue L. for your support!

One response so far