OUR WORK
ECOTOURISM
At the Bombo Lumene Foundation, we believe that a well-developed ecotourism program is a crucial step toward achieving ecological, social, and financial sustainability. We are working with the reserve to completely renovate, refurbish, and expand its lodging facilities in order to attract and accommodate more visitors. This will significantly increase Bombo Lumene’s tourism revenue, which will be directly channeled into the reserve’s conservation efforts. We will also work together to enhance the overall visitor experience by developing various outdoor activities such as hiking trails, fishing, volleyball, and more.
Infrastructure
In April 2021, we were able to install new water pumps and solar panels that now supply water to the main camp and the village. This means that the men, women, and children of Bombo Lumene will no longer have to make the arduous trek to the spring and back to access drinking water. We also plan to assist reserve staff, both financially and technically, in their efforts to improve the rest of Bombo Lumene’s infrastructure. Infrastructure projects would include bringing electricity to the headquarters and the staff village, erecting signs to mark the reserve’s boundaries, maintaining and building new roads and hiking trails, the construction of major administrative buildings, the renovation of existing housing and the construction of new housing for staff and park rangers, the construction of ranger stations, and the fencing of key areas as needed. We will also help the reserve obtain the essential tools and equipment needed to tackle these projects, such as tractors, trailers, excavators, etc.
RESEARCH AND FOLLOW-UP
We continue to monitor the reserve’s wildlife and conduct species surveys using 20 camera traps, with the assistance of Bombo Lumene staff. This helps us better understand the ecosystem and identify key areas of biological importance on which to focus our conservation efforts. The camera traps also allow us, to some extent, to monitor poaching in the region.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
We believe that community development and education are key elements of conservation. To date, we have completely renovated the local school and fully equipped it with all the necessary school supplies. In the near future, we hope to create an environmental education and awareness program that will be taught in the communities surrounding the reserve.
SUPPORT FOR ANTI-POACHING EFFORTS
The Bombo Lumene Foundation will support efforts to combat poaching and deforestation through a variety of projects, including, but not limited to, the construction of guard posts, equipping rangers, providing patrol vehicles, fencing off key areas, establishing a communication system between rangers and headquarters, and more.
