Gorilla Guardians Village also known as “iby’iwacu culture village” is one of the eye catching cultural centres in Rwanda located in the northern region of the country near the famous volcanoes national park with in the district of Muzane. The term iby’iwacu is a Kinyarwanda word meaning “treasures of our home and heritage”.
Gorilla guardians’ village is a remarkable addition to the menu for possible tourists to the country and it’s the only place where tourists can enjoy the finest Rwandan cultural traditions after taking part in gorilla tracking in volcanoes national park. The Iby’iwacu cultural hamlet is outstanding for the fact that the great majority of its people were once poachers of the mountain gorillas who are now participating in conservation efforts of these gentle giants hence helping the government of Rwanda and consequently developing the tourism sector.
This awesome cultural centre is one of the country’s most important cultural attractions and one of the leading tourist destinations in Rwanda. The Village brings together all of Rwanda’s well-known cultural customs, people, and history in one location for display and personal experience.it is also home to the historical sub-tribe like the Hutu, Tutsi and Batwa, the entertainment centre promotes a sense of unity based on shared concepts.
The Gorilla Guardians Village in Rwanda
As a swift reaction to the upsurge in gorilla poaching by certain community members, Edwin Sabuhoro established the Iby’Iwacu cultural village.
Mr. Edwin Sabuhoro was sick of human-animal conflicts surrounding and within Volcanoes National Park after seeing poaching operations against wildlife, helping to rescue an injured baby gorilla, and working in the park.
He chose to attend the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK, to study tourism and conservation after witnessing firsthand the tensions between humans and wildlife, particularly between the mountain gorillas and the inhabitants of Kinigi village. His goal is to help stop the rising tide of poaching in Volcanoes National Park.
Gorilla guardian village / things to do in Musanze /volcanoes national park
In his master’s thesis titled “ecotourism as a potential conservation incentive for local communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park,” the author discovered that the local communities in the area did not directly benefit from tourism, and that the costs they faced outweighed the benefits they received. Additionally, the locals were unwilling to put an end to poaching and believed that killing wildlife was a way to make up for their losses.
Mr. Edwin pledged his life savings to provide the people with a means of subsistence other than hunting before completing his research, thus testing his hypothesis. He gave US$2000 to seven groups of poachers in the park, each with forty families. After nine months, five of the groups had stopped poaching, had an abundance of food, seeds to plant for the following season, and as a token of their gratitude, they gave him 200 kg of potatoes.
Based on his findings, he believes the hamlet has great potential to alleviate poverty through increased food production; all they require is some initial assistance, direction, and supervision.
Here he went and did another little survey to find out what most tourists want before, during, and after gorilla trekking. The results showed that people would love to meet locals, learn about Rwandan culture, stroll through the neighborhood, and share stories and experiences while experiencing a little bit of the local culture.
It was just necessary to broaden the scope of the current social gathering and turn it into an experience for visitors to the community, since communities already have this platform for social gathering and idea exchange among the locals. He decided to put his theory to the test once more, and he put over $500,000 of his hard-earned life savings into the project he now believed in, hoping it would improve the village as a whole, make poaching less common, and help the poor in the area around Volcanoes National Park. The renowned Gorilla Guardians settlement, also called Iby’Iwacu Cultural settlement, is the fruit of his labors, and his goal has finally come true.
Community Walks and Visiting the Local Homesteads
Visiting the gorilla guardians’ village will grant you the opportunity to learn about the cultural distinctiveness of Kinyarwanda culture and tradition through community walks and home visits. You will also discover how the locals live in their grass thatched huts where you can seat by the local elders and enjoy story tales about the rich history of Rwanda and the life style of her people before and after colonisation. The guardians’ village also gives visitors an option of visiting the banana plantations and vegetable gardens; you can also learn how to prepare traditional dishes and even have a taste of banyarwanda cuisine if you wish. This community visit gives tourists a clear understanding of how Rwanda people live to date. You can also get a chance to visit different local school in the village and interact with students and teachers and also know their education system.
Intore Dance Group Performances
Tourists interested in traditional music, the Iby’iwacu Cultural Village gives opportunity to listen and watch various Rwandan distinct indigenous musical sounds such as the Ingoma, Amakondera, Umuduri, Inanga, Iningiri, Ibyivugo, and Agakenke which are performed at the village, each sound is distinct, with its own set of musical instruments and dancing style. The Intore dance group performs the classic warrior dance and performers dress like ancient warriors with small bells wrapped around their legs and clothing around their lower bodies while holding spears and shields. Performers pursue you to join them to dance or at least learn how to drum.
Visit the Former Kings Palace Replica 
Visiting the king’s palace is interesting and showcases how different ancient kings of Rwanda ruled and managed their people.it also displays different symbols and there uses like the stool, arrow, drums and how their courts looked like. Kings in Rwanda were highly respected and the only one to make decisions without any questions. The King’s palace in Iby’iwacu cultural village is set to portray how it looked like centuries ago including all African symbols and clan elements which are explained by a local tour guide.
Batwa Community
Have an epic chance to meet and experience the Batwa community while at the guardian’s village, these people first settled in the forest and were hunters and fruit gatherers but now relocated to nearby villages and some assigned to Iby’iwacu cultural village. During the Batwa cultural tour tourists can look at how these people used to do their things while in the forest like lighting fire out of dry sticks, hunting and gathering fruits, setting up animal traps and traditional dances which are so interesting hence making your Rwanda safari memorable.
Visit the Traditional Healers
This is yet another activity to engage in while at the Iby’iwacu cultural village. Traditional healers are believed to have played a big role in the communities in ancient years although now they are less consulted like before. Visit one or several traditional healers who use natural herbs such as tree branches, leaves, roots and other plants to create medicine used to treat different diseases. You will be amazed at how the knowledge has been passed on for generations and how the herbal medicine actually works and get a chance to learn something new.
Taste Locally Made Brew
Visiting the gorilla guardian village gives an opportunity to tourists to learn and see how alcohol is brewed from fermented bananas. You are expected to actively engage in tasting with a sip of the finished product to feel its authenticity. Taking locally made alcohol in a traditional African Society was a way of bringing people together and creating unity and peace among them. It was also a must have at ceremonies as it brought about excitement and joy.
HOW TO GET THERE
The place can be accessed by road comfortably from Kigali, only taking 2-3 drive to reach this amazing community. A tour to the Gorilla Guardians Village allows one to take part in these activities throughout the year.