Ntoyinkima Claver, a tourist guide in Nyungwe National Park, recently won an award from the British Empire for his outstanding environmental work.
This award is called 'Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award' Ntoyinkima who introduces the birds of the park located in the South West of Rwanda, will be presented on November 27, 2024 by King Charles III of England.
It will be accompanied by 30 thousand Pounds (over 51.2 million Frw), Ntoyinkima will be awarded with three other Africans who have also won similar awards.
The way Ntoyinima does his work is modern, with a tourist who can tell him the type of bird he wants to visit, using the recorded sound to take him to the location of those birds.
In order to introduce the more than 320 species that live in this park, Ntoyinkima uses various technological tools, including a device made as a 'parabolic antenna' that picks up sound from afar.
He then plugs into his modern phone, captures the sounds and it becomes easier for him to find the bird in the hiker and tells him that he really wants to know what it says and what it looks like.
These devices also include other devices such as remote control and other devices that are similar to a 'telecommand' but have a light that they keep close to the bird, or the use of a remote that shows the bird as if it is close to you.
It is the work he does in collaboration with and training young people, because when he founded the environmental protection group in 2009, the people who come out are the ones who take tourists to this park that operates in the Western and Southern provinces, and it has become their daily work.
It also involves educating the people about the beauty of the land they live in instead of destroying it, hunting animals, mining, logging, etc., and preserving it.
In an interview with IGIHE Ntoyinkima said, "We teach primary school children about the preservation of the environment and the ecosystem, and we give them rabbits to understand their importance."
There were poachers, now they have given up, we gave them a goat to thank them for their decision to stop these evil activities, and now they would help us maintain the park."
This man has been working in this park for 24 years, which covers an area of 1019 square kilometers.
Ntoyinkima is one of those who discovered that there are buffaloes and monkeys in Nyungwe Park, today these animals are very important in promoting tourism in Nyungwe.
For three years, he was the visitor reception officer at Nyungwe Park, and in 2004, he decided to be a guide to show visitors to Rwanda the best of this place, which was included by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2023.
works so far. His love for conservation dates back to when he was born near a park, growing up listening to the birds singing, listening to the sounds of monkeys and cows, and being curious and wanting to see them in person.
He said, “When I was 10 years old there was a project to maintain Nyungwe Park. Some of the workers were our neighbors, and I always wanted to reconcile them.
Fortunately, my brother also got a job there.”
They had someone who helped them to teach them the benefits of the park, for Ntoyinkima the problem was solved in the village because what he wanted he had seen up close, it is the same for his brothers where most of them are devoted to the preservation of the environment.
Ntoyinima like others grew up and went to high school, but during the holidays he went to do different jobs in the park, all with the help of his brothers who worked day in and day out to help the people think about the importance of the ecosystem.
Regarding the award he won, Ntoyinkima and akanyamuneza said that he was very surprised when he heard it, so hearing that a man from Rusizi was rewarded by Londoners in England was difficult, but he will understand.
He said, “They called me to congratulate me that I won, I was surprised that it took me like an hour to feel that I was the winner.
I felt like they were wrong. It's very motivating to know that there are people who value what you do.
It is an award that is going to help me implement my projects because I have not been able to reach my goals due to the constraints of lack of resources.”
Although this is the first international award he has received, it is the second award he has received in his life.
In 2007, he was awarded the best employee of the company in the country. By removing the obstacles of poachers and others, in 2005 Rwanda started a program to share the results of tourism with the residents of the national parks, starting from 5% and now we are at 10%.
As in the last year's budget, the National Development Agency (RDB), had committed that more than 3 billion Frw will be distributed to the people as benefits from the tourism sites they live in and Nyungwe Park.
It is a program that has been very effective in the eyes of Ntoyinkima where he says: “Now that the people have been built schools, they are helped in other activities that develop them.
They are now cooperating with us in protecting those who engage in these evil activities, they would help us and explain to those who do not understand."
