“I can only surmise that God didn’t feel I was ready to have children until I was 82 years old. Then he sent me forty all at once.”
–Rosamond Carr (excerpt from her memoir Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda)
Roz Carr, an American woman living in Rwanda since 1949, established the Imbabazi Orphanage in December 1994 to care for children lost or orphaned by the Rwandan genocide. In the local Kinyarwanda language, Imbabazi means “a place where you will receive all the love and care a mother would give.” Since its inception in 1994, the orphanage has cared for over 400 children, many of whom have been reunited with family members or grown up to live productive, meaningful lives.
Volcanoes Safaris' Co-Founder Praveen Moman, a member of the Orphanage's Board, is pleased to announce the completed renovations at Imbabazi. The orphanage recently underwent eight months of work that included repainting the main house, expanding and developing the gardens and redeveloping Imbabazi's historical tours.
Volcanoes Safaris is proud to be associated with the work of Roz Carr and her Imbabazi Orphanage, and look forward to supporting the Imbabazi Foundation's work for many years ahead.
In addition to the informative tours, the institution has recently launched a traditional Intore dance and drumming performance. When Imbabazi Orphanage was initially founded, these performances were a regular occurrence. Now, thanks to a small government grant, the orphanage has been able to hire a professional choreographer and train 15 local community members to resume the Intore dance performances.
Volcanoes Safaris clients are very welcome to participate in this (optional) tour of Imbabazi Orphanage. The dancers perform a special hour-long presentation on the last Sunday of each month. Daily Intore dance performances - served with tea and biscuits in the pretty English gardens - are available to book in advance. All proceeds from the dance performances go to the dancers and to the upkeep of the orphanage.
If you are interested in this tour, please let our sales team know when you're booking your stay at Virunga Lodge.
Write to us on [email protected] or send us a message via the form on our contact page.
Rwanda: +250 (0) 252 502 452
Uganda: +256 (0) 414 346 464
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Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor is nothing short of exhilarating. The chimps effortlessly cross and scamper through the trees above the gorge, and visitors on the other hand must cross the river using natural bridges in order to keep up with the chimps. So although the walk usually lasts only 2–3 hours, descending the steep gorge and crossing the log bridges over the river requires some agility and fitness.
Chimpanzee tracking is also available in nearby Kalinzu, a forest reserve 30 minutes drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge where there is a community of about 40 habituated chimpanzees.
