Donate To Forest of Hope

"We are creating a ‘forest of hope’ that transcends the restoration of biodiversity — it is about the people of Gishwati and improving their lives in harmony with nature. We are determined to reverse the history of human-induced environmental abuse in the Gishwati area, and this program is an opportunity for members of the global community to build partnerships with Rwanda and address these important challenges."

H.E. President Paul Kagame, Republic of Rwanda

The progress of this project is inspirational and instructive, because solutions that work in the desperate situation at Gishwati are likely to be effective for many endangered populations of great apes in the future. Gishwati is a test bed for new conservation approaches, and has become a “Forest of Hope” rather than being the place “beyond hope” that it was just several years ago.

Funding is urgently required to consolidate these gains, and to pursue a trajectory of long-term success. We must be mindful of and fiercely resistant to David Brower’s observation: “All of our (conservation) victories are temporary, all our defeats are permanent.”