Wilderness Sabyinyo Newsletter June – 2024

As the summer vacation rolled in, we noticed an increase of families travelling together and couples who were celebrating different occasions – mostly graduations and wedding anniversaries – compared to May, when we had bigger groups… which further proves that Sabyinyo is a home to everybody that stays with us. 

Our guests had wonderful days during their stay thanks to the wonderful weather that we had the whole the month. Despite having to trek a little further in this sunny season which dries up the bamboo shoots closer to the park border, it didn’t stop the gorilla treks from being fun. With less mud the gorillas were more active, playing and definitely giving a show to our guests, leaving everyone happy and satisfied with their activities. The warm afternoons encouraged guests to go out on lodge activities where they enjoyed their community visits and even more of the nature trails around the property, especially the birdwatching. They also loved the vegetable and flower gardens as everything is in bloom.

We were delighted to host Miss Rwanda 2020, Ishimwe Naomi at the beginning of June. Her stay brought a wave of excitement, with everyone curious to meet her and she certainly didn’t hesitate to greet and chat with the team. This was truly an exceptional experience for all, as most of them have only seen her on TV, and were very happy to interact with her during her stay. She left everyone happy, posing for selfies and a story that brought a smile to everyone who was with her.

After a day out trekking, a delicious meal is always a treat to look forward to. Our kitchen team has always taken this seriously, and has developed some of the most mouthwatering and healthy meals for our guests over the years. This month was no exception and the team didn’t disappoint, adding two new dishes to our lunch menu. Both dishes are locally sourced from our vegetable garden and also very inclusive for anyone who might want to try them. The team justly believes they have enhanced our guests’ experience to an even higher level.

And they didn’t stop at this, having now levelled up our sundowners, with a few traditional dishes that are usually enjoyed during the igitaramo locally, such as beef brochettes, samosas, and more, for our guests to enjoy while we celebrate their achievements of the day and introduce them to our Rwandan culture.

The team has also been actively participating in weekly training, with the senior and junior chefs all working and learning very hard about how to elevate the food experience for our guests. We can already see the success of the training, as the chefs are already bringing in new ideas to further heighten the Sabyinyo dining experience for everyone.

The Sabyinyo spa treatments are famously therapeutic, leaving one wanting more, especially after a trek. As we truly believe in the continuous growth and development of our staff, in June we embarked on an exciting journey to provide professional massage training. This initiative has not only been educational, but also enjoyable for everyone involved. Also, it’s a valuable addition to our staffs’ skillsets, contributing to the wellbeing of our guests, and their professional growth. We are very excited to see the positive impact it will continue to have on our team.

The month of June has been a happy one for the team, despite it being a very busy month hosting families travelling together. Our colleagues welcomed some newborn babies into their own families, as well as two new team members to the Sabyinyo family: Bella and Dieudonne who joined our kitchen team as chefs. The new members have been welcomed with much love and were shown the ropes, and have now adjusted to the team.

This wasn’t the only joy for the team, as we have seen some people grow in their careers, with Claude and Peter being promoted this month! Claude joined the team last year as a camp hand and has now been promoted to the housekeeping team, where he continues to learn and grow. 

Peter, who was formerly Head of Housekeeping, has now joined the Management team. He has been with Sabyinyo for 17 years, and his journey is one of the greatest tales here. He started off building the lodge, then moving on to the housekeeping team and is now in Management. His hard work is truly inspiring, and he has created so much joy and many happy memories for our guests over the years, and continues to do so in his current position with even more enthusiasm than ever.

The Empower pillar of Wilderness’ Impact strategy is the primary driver of its community partnerships, one of which is between Wilderness Sabyinyo and the Sabyinyo Community Livelihood Association (SACOLA) in Rwanda. They recently launched a transformative housing project benefiting villages in the Nyange and Kinigi sectors near the country’s famed Volcanoes National Park.

In total 20 houses were built for 15 vulnerable families and 5 families of genocide survivors. The fully equipped and furnished houses are valued at a total of USD 220,0000, and were handed over to the families along with additional essential supplies, including rice, flour, cooking oil and soap. Each house has three furnished bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a water tank.

SACOLA Chairman, Nsengiyumva Pierre Célestin, expressed his gratitude to His Excellency President Paul Kagame for granting them the partnership with Wilderness Sabyinyo, which plays a significant role in improving the welfare of the communities surrounding Volcanoes National Park. He stated, “Together with Wilderness, we are committed to enhancing the quality of life for the residents, and will continue to collaborate with the Musanze District to uplift residents, moving them from poor to better living conditions. In recent times, we have also been able to provide water, cows, various small livestock, and built public infrastructure, including schools, bridges, and administrative offices for villages and sectors, all thanks to good governance”.

Sekanyambo J. Népomuscène, one of the beneficiaries, said, “My family and I used to live in a thatched hut where we couldn’t sleep due to the cold and fear. When it rained, we had to sit up all night as water would flood the house and soak everything. Now, we have received a well-roofed, secure house with metal doors and windows, a living room, and a rainwater collection tank. These improvements will help us advance, as we can now go to work without worrying as we used to”.

The Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Development in the Musanze District, Mrs Uwanyirigira Clarisse, expressed her gratitude to partners like SACOLA, who collaborate on various initiatives to improve the lives of residents. She stated, “The work of SACOLA is commendable, as it complements our district’s efforts to ensure that residents live in good housing and have a better quality of life”.

“I am so proud to be able to be able to contribute to meaningful projects like this, that are made possible by our Wilderness Sabyinyo guests, whose stays directly contribute to community upliftment”, concluded Leonard Harerimana Wilderness Rwanda’s SACOLA & Sabyinyo Communication Officer.