A new community tourism initiative is seeking to connect residents of Madi-Okollo District to tourism and professional tour-guiding opportunities around Ajai Wildlife Reserve, as efforts intensify to increase local participation in West Nile’s tourism economy.
The initiative has so far introduced 88 residents to tourism, field guiding and potential livelihood opportunities through a two-day preliminary training that concluded on Friday at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Information Centre in Ajai.
The training attracted 73 men and 15 women from Madi-Okollo and communities surrounding Ajai Wildlife Reserve. Organisers say the programme is intended to help residents understand how they can directly participate in and benefit from the region’s tourism potential while contributing to the conservation of the reserve.
The training covered the fundamentals of tourism, how the industry operates and its value to the region, the role of tourist guides, skills required to lead visitors, and opportunities for residents to earn income through guiding and other tourism-related services.
The programme was conducted by the Africa Institute of Tourism and Field Guiding (AITFG), in partnership with West Nile Birding and Safari, UWA and the Madi-Okollo District Local Government Tourism Office. Herbert Byaruhanga, a tourism guiding expert from AITFG, said investing in communities around wildlife reserves can improve tourism while creating a stronger sense of ownership and responsibility for conservation.
“With this training, we are hopeful of ushering in a game-changer in the mindset of the local communities to participate in tourism activities which can enhance their incomes,” Byaruhanga said. Boniface Kadabara from West Nile Birding and Safaris said the preliminary training also served as a screening exercise to identify participants who are serious and committed to pursuing tourism as a profession.
He said those selected will proceed to an advanced professional training programme that will be assessed and certified by the national TVET Council. “The advanced stage is expected to involve a rigorous, assessed professional training programme certified by the national TVET Council, officially qualifying them for formal careers in the tourism sector,” Kadabara said.
He added that the programme will help develop the human resources needed to support the growth of tourism in West Nile. Mercy Hope Lenia, one of the trainees, said the training had created an opportunity for her to explore the West Nile birding circuit and tap into the region’s largely unexplored tourism potential.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for generously hosting this training at the Ajai Information Center and for their steadfast commitment to community conservation,” Lenia said. The trainees and facilitators are expected to undertake field assessments and birding expeditions to Moyo’s Mt. Otce Forest Reserve and Adjumani’s Arra Fishing Lodge and Zoka Forest.
The field exercises will help participants gain practical experience while identifying and mapping additional tourism attractions and opportunities across West Nile. The initiative is expected to strengthen community involvement in conservation and create new income opportunities through tourism, birding, tour guiding, and other related services.