Saidi Kakuru was born and raised in Rubirizi district, nearby Kyambura Gorge Lodge in Western Uganda. He has worked with Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust at Kyambura for over 4 years and is an accomplished birder and keen naturalist, leading guests on nature walks in and around the extensive gardens and grounds of Kyambura Gorge Lodge.
Saidi started learning about bird species in the Kyambura wetlands, a former illegal brickworks that has been restored to its natural state by Volcanoes Safaris Parthership Trust. He can now identify over 600 species of birds, with some of his favourites being the Ross’ Turaco and White collared oliveback.
Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust recruits and training local youth from the communities surrounding Volcanoes Safaris lodges, ensuring that local families receive sustainable and tangible economic benefits from tourism and conservation. You can read more about the Kyambura Eco-tourism Project, launched in February 2019, to safeguard the Kyambura Gorge ecosystem here.