Kwita Izina, the annual gorilla naming ceremony for 2017 is set to take place on 1st September 2017. Here is the full program for this annual event that is held at Kinigi in Musanze District, Northern Province of Rwanda.
2017 Events program
Community Project Launches
23rd June 2017, 29th June 2017, and 24th August 2017
Projects that will be launched in 2017 have been funded for the most part by tourism revenue sharing, contributing to the development and welfare of communities living adjacent to Rwanda’s national parks. Launching the projects enhances community involvement and creates awareness of the importance of conservation and the protection of our national parks.
23rd June Akagera National Park
29th June Nyungwe National Park
24th August Volcanoes National Park
Familiarization Trip
Date: 24th August – 2nd September 2017
One of key activities for the 13th Kwita Izina is the familiarization trip for regional, international tour operators and media. It is our opportunity to showcase Rwanda’s diverse tourism attractions and unique cultural heritage that makes Rwanda a must-see destination.
The itinerary includes Kigali City tour, Cultural heritage attractions such as the King’s palace in Nyanza, our exciting traditional dancers and drummers, Nyungwe National Park, Akagera National Park with the big 5, Volcanoes National Park and Gorilla Trekking as well as Rubavu and the iconic lake Kivu. Participants will enjoy all Kwita Izina events with networking sessions and B2B opportunities built into the programme
Kwita Izina Gala Dinner
Date: 26th August 2017
To launch the Kwita Izina event is the glamorous Gala Dinner. The objective of this fundraising dinner is to support Rwanda’s ongoing successful conservation projects specifically “The expansion of Gorilla Habitat”. Celebrate Rwanda’s Conservation success story with us and help protect our wildlife and biodiversity for future generations.
The celebration is a black tie dinner with great entertainment, auctioning and exciting lucky draw prizes.
Conservation and Tourism Exhibition
Date: 27th – 28th August 2017:
The 2017 Kwita Izina Conservation and Tourism Exhibition is a two-day event which will be held alongside the Conversation on Conservation conference at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village.
The exhibition will showcase Rwanda’s achievements in conservation activities through displays of educational materials as well as conservation and tourism related products and services. KI Conservation and Tourism Exhibition is open to the public and serves as a trade platform for B2B & other networking opportunities specifically for tourism operators.
A Conversation on Conservation
Date: 28th– 29th August 2017
The event is a two-day annual conference with delegates attending from all over the world. It is an important forum bringing together leading experts to debate Africa’s common conservation challenges and find solutions to preserve ecosystems for future generations.
This year topics are:
Conservation in the face of climate change
Conservation – a collective responsibility
Cross-cutting theme: “Engaging Youth in Conservation Innovation”.
Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony
Date: 1st– September 2017
Venue: Kinigi, Musanze
Join us for the ultimate celebration of life as newborn baby gorillas receive their names during the 13th hosting of Kwita Izina in Kinigi, Volcanoes National Park.
The ceremony of giving a name to a newborn baby, commonly known as ‘Kwita Izina’, has been part of Rwandan culture and tradition for centuries.
The name attributed to a baby gorilla plays a significant role in the ongoing program of monitoring each individual gorilla in its family group and habitat.
This year 19 gorillas will be named.