International Day for Biological Diversity 2021 brought another topic to think about. 2020-2021, conflicts between human beings and animals occurred than other previous years in Huye district. It’s an area where vervet monkeys located. People who live near by the arboretum Ruhande forest claimed a lot that vervet monkeys come and damage their crops. The solution they get is to kill them.
When entire world was celebrating the International day of Biological Diversity, Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management had a community outreach where the team went out to join people who live at Mukoni village,Cyarwa cell in Tumba sector, Huye district to work together a community work done to clear the bush in the roads and collect plastics there.
At the end, the team from Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management (CoEB) had conversation with those people where they talked about Human-Monkeys conflicts, explaining how human behavior can be controlled to live in harmony with monkeys. “There are many ways to work your daily work without harming monkeys. Yes, I know they are not good enough for you but the solution is not killing them. what do you think if there will be no monkeys in this area? Do you think it will be fine for you? No. you need them to live and they need you too.”Mapendo Mindje said.
Coeb Team adressing message tothe Community!
The biodiversity provides various and useful ecosystems services and goods which are fundamental elements for country economic development, specifically for Rwanda as developing country mostly relying on natural resources for its development and for its population welfare. This is what Dr.Venuste Nsengimana and Nathalie Ingabire said during this meeting. “As the one who knows much on Finance, our country need money from its natural resources. Here we know that tourism bring much money from tourist who come and pay for our animals, plants, lakes etc. so, when you protect monkeys, you will be protecting our economy too and economy of our country will bring you electric power, roads, hospitals, schools etc.” Nathalie Ingabire said.
“We don’t have permanent solution but what I can promise you is advocacy and I hope this will end up with good answer for you! I beg you all to keep your anger to monkeys located here. They don’t even know that they are damaging your crops. Said Dr.Venuste Nsengimana.
After knowing well the role of biodiversity to the country and to the community, people promised Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management that they are going to change their behaviors towards monkeys and start to protect them with much respect as they are part of the solution too!
On this day, CoEB made a video for celebration, where they realized the message to community to be part of the solution. CoEB director Prof.Beth Kaplin said that she has two challenges for everyone. She mentioned that everyone needs biodiversity and she suggested going outside and seeing how they are beautiful and that they are missing them.