Category: History & Culture
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Historically Marginalised People: Ancient Culture on the Congo Nile Trail
Tucked along the Congo Nile Trail, just 7 km from Rubona (Gisenyi), is a chance to interact with the indigenous people of the Gorilla Highlands: the Batwa, in Rwanda also known as “Twa” and officially termed “Historically Marginalised People”. Because of the country’s tragic experience with the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi — a huge…
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His Community’s Story Spans Continents & Centuries
Is Zohran Mamdani the most famous Ugandan at the moment? In New York for sure! The article explores his Khoja merchant community that brought textiles, manufactured goods, spices and gems to East Africa — and even the Aga Khan Development Network. You may also like: Nyabingi? The One Whose Divination You Seek …King Kong vs.…
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History of Glory & Dignity
How do you, 100 years later, help Africa write its history of glory and dignity? Lumumba’s life was eventually cut short — he was killed for being ahead of his time — but what’s stopping us now? You may also like: 30 Years Ago Something Terrifying StartedCyimbili on the Congo Nile Trail: Now & 50…
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Lift the “Pygmies” Up, Don’t Knock Them Down!
Look who’s back at Edirisa on Lake Bunyonyi! The Wheeling2help volunteer crew have returned. Two of their teams helped us whip up the Batwa Feast last year, bravely stepping in as our taste-testers so the first lot of 2025 could savour the real deal yesterday … Fancy giving it a go yourself? You’ll get to…
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Where Can I Learn the Most About Gorilla Conservation?
If gorilla tracking is more than a selfie opportunity to you, add the Ellen DeGeneres Campus to your itinerary. Even from Uganda, it’s worth a day trip — located about an hour from the Cyanika border post in Kinigi, Rwanda. This 12-acre (5-hectare) facility is home to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Yes, that Fossey…
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The Virungas’ Most Intriguing Ethnic Group
Of all the cultures found around the Virungas, the Bafumbira are perhaps the most intriguing. Though they speak a dialect of Kinyarwanda, they live in Uganda’s southwestern corner, in Kisoro District. Their influence in Uganda far outweighs their numbers. They are a small minority, as there are only around 700,000 Bafumbira in their district while…
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Digital Superman under Rwanda’s Famous Breast
“Cows are everything to me. They are my siblings, my comfort zone, my love. They raised me, fed me, and shaped who I am,” says Alexis Ngabo Karegeya. His passion for cattle is contagious, and it’s turned him into a fascinating guide for visitors to the lush pastures of Bigogwe. Found on the southern side…
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The Batwa Patient
There are few places where you desperately want to see a familiar face — like a hospital. Unless you work in one, all that antiseptic sparkle and military-level order is enough to make anyone feel a bit twitchy. That’s exactly where our Batwa “Pygmy” partners from Lake Bunyonyi ended up: first at the health centre…
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Cyimbili on the Congo Nile Trail: Now & 50 Years Ago
Cyimbili may well be the most peculiar overnight stay on the Congo Nile Trail. It’s staggeringly picturesque, lying right on the sandy Kivu waterfront and with an iconic island just off shore — yet it does not feature on everybody’s itinerary! Cyclists skip it because it’s a bit too close to Gisenyi/Rubavu while some hikers…
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