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30+ years protecting gorillas in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo.
By working with the local communities to end their reliance on the unique rainforest habitat, which is the gorillas' home, the gorilla population & the forest are able to be safeguarded.
Education & community-led sustainable development projects go hand in hand with conservation.
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The Pole Pole Foundation (POPOF)
is a grassroots NGO working to protect the critically-endangered eastern lowland (grauer's) gorillas which live in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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Conservation through
Community Involvement
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
Provide alternative livelihoods (e.g., sustainable farming, beekeeping, & handicrafts) to reduce reliance on illegal activities like poaching & logging.
REFORESTATION
EFFORTS
Engage in tree-planting projects to restore degraded & previously logged forest areas.
GORILLA
CONSERVATION
Work to protect Grauer’s gorillas from threats like poaching & habitat destruction.
ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
Teach local communities about conservation & sustainable resource use.
+ Supporting local schools.
04.
Women's Empowerment
FARMING & CRAFT TRAINING
- Sewing group to learn how to use sewing machines to produce items for the local schools, sell at market & make ranger uniforms.​
- Soap making for hygiene & selling surplus to local markets
- Growing fruit trees and mushrooms & the production of spirulina to provide. nutritious foods for their families, & sell surplus at markets.
Goals to scale up the mushroom operation, to have sufficient surplus to sell to local restaurants & hotels.
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4M+
TREES
PLANTED
Aiming to rehabilitate the deforested areas, POPOF grows trees in nurseries. Over 4 million trees have been cultivated, & once sufficiently mature, they are distributed to the communities surrounding the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, creating an important buffer zone for its protection.
Educational Support
SCHOOL SUPPLIES, SCHOLARSHIPS, & TEACHER TRAINING
A kindergarten, primary & secondary school have been established since 1999 to increase levels of general literacy as well as conservation awareness in both children & adults. This ensures that the next generation grows up to appreciate & manage their natural resources in harmony with local communities, dispelling any conflict of interest which may have existed in the past.
Scholarship opportunities to attend university, funded by POPOF are also available.
Alternative Income Projects
TRAINING FOR
FORMER POACHERS
Training in sustainable farming, beekeeping, wood carving & handicrafts. This provides income for former poachers to reduce poaching intrusion in the park.
IMPACT // PROJECTS
Community Tourism
AWE-INSPIRING
GORILLA VISITS
Even though they have lived all their lives only a short distance from the Park, most people have never seen a gorilla. This initiative gives the local communities the opportunity to go into the Park and visit with the gorillas which inspires local people to feel more involved & invested in their protection.
WHERE YOUR FUNDS GO:
FIELD
EQUIPMENT
GPS devices, cameras, & binoculars for tracking gorillas & monitoring forests.
REFORESTATION
MATERIALS
Tree seedlings, farming tools, & irrigation equipment for habitat restoration.
ANTI-POACHING
GEAR
Uniforms, boots, & communication tools for local eco-guards & conservation teams.
WOMEN'S
EMPOWERMENT
PROGRAMS
Resources to support women-led initiatives in conservation and business.
AWARENESS +
ADVOCACY 📢
Media & Marketing – Support in promoting their work to gain more international attention.
INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED AWARDS
Founder John Kahekwa received several international awards for his holistic conservation approch, including the Whitley Award for Conservation, Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa & the highly prestigious UNESCO "Man & Biosphere" award.
Gorillas are so much like us.
It's in humanity's hands to not let them go extinct.
Together, we can protect
this species from extinction. Donate today to make a lasting impact.
Your generous donation is 100% tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law