Kwita Izina- Rwanda’s Gorilla Naming Ceremony

Prepare to witness one of the most significant natural celebrations in history and meet Rwanda’s newborn baby gorillas.

Kwita Izina is based on a long-standing custom in which Rwandans name their children in front of friends and relatives. In what has grown into a worldwide celebration of nature, mountain gorillas were first given official names in Rwanda in 2005. We surely give these magnificent animals the value they merit by giving them names.

The ceremony is a chance to express gratitude to the local populations that surround Volcanoes National Park, our research collaborators, veterinarians, and the devoted conservationists, rangers, and trackers who look out for the gorillas. There have been 328 mountain gorillas named in the past 16 years. More than 350 mountain gorillas have been given names in the past fifteen years. Kwita Izina is now a part of an ambitious plan to protect Rwanda’s natural heritage and increase the contribution of tourism to the country’s development. Following the naming ceremony, Rwandans from all walks of life now recognize the intrinsic worth of gorillas and their relevance to the nation’s economy. Rwandans now guard the gorillas.

Since 2005, RDB has given more than Rwf 7.9 billion to more than 880 community-based projects. The impact of these projects has yielded in : the communities residing near the four national parks—Akagera National Park, Nyungwe National Park, Volcanoes National Park, and Rwanda’s newest national park—Gishwati-Mukura National Park—have benefited from these projects by receiving access to clean drinking water, milk, health centers, classrooms, and housing.

The Cyarubare Industrial Workshop, a community initiative created and sponsored by the Rwanda Development Board as part of the program, will be unveiled by RDB this year in the Kayonza District.

This year’s Kwita Izina-Naming Ceremony will take place on the 2nd of September as announced by the Rwanda Development Board.