Jars of Gorilla Honey
The Gorilla Honey project is a unique project based in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda that is helping two different groups survive: humans and gorillas.
Mountain gorillas in the region have long been endangered. Poaching, destruction of natural habitat, and exposure to human pathogens have wreaked havoc on already dwindling gorilla populations.
Smallholder beekeeping communities, often located near the natural habitat of gorillas, had previously chopped down trees or branches to position traditional hives better. The Gorilla Honey Project works with these beekeeping communities to connect them to a regional and global market, allowing them to earn a sustainable living and live in peace alongside gorillas rather than continuing to destroy their habitat.
Hortense Mudenge helped develop the Gorilla Honey Project last year. She is Rwandese, lives in the capital city of Kigali and works with several groups of beekeepers in the Virunga Mountains. She has written a complete profile of the Gorilla Honey Project, which you can read here.