Biodiversity Conservation Assistant

Biodiversity conservation aims at addressing some of the key issues affecting our biodiversity as identified by the national biodiversity policy. National Policy gives a list of key issues to be addressed if we’re to expect a sound and safe biodiversity. This programme offers opportunity to local communities including students and peasants to discuss issues affecting their environment to propose appropriate actions to adapt and mitigate them. The programme also provides beneficiaries with basic knowledge and skills in environmental and climate change issues all to ensure a biodiversity legacy. This involves organising conferences and video debates on environmental issues, supporting tree nursery development and Management, supporting tree planting campaigns, supporting Environment clubs in terms of development and management (through youth camps, training, Development of school and green gardens), conducting Environmental education  (through the celebration of environmental weeks, Education on Climate justice, and community projects )

The programme

Volunteer for this programme will be working with local beneficiaries and Partners For Conservation field staff including (Project Manager, and Technicians) and other stakeholders including conservation and development agencies as well as the local authorities. In order to provide volunteers with many opportunities to learn and contribute to community conservation efforts in Rwanda, volunteers are elected to join the team that represents Partners For Conservation in functions, meetings and other conservation gathering.Partners For Conservation expects a pro-active volunteer ready to use the personal curiosity to learn and passion to move forward this programme.  

Interested volunteer will have a lifetime experience contribute to the national biodiversity strategy plan by working alongside communities in their efforts of rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, control of alien invasive species , develop/upgrade skills in conservation management as well as helping local community reap the full benefits of conservation.

The location

The volunteer will be based and operate in Musanze district. Musanze is a district in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Its capital city is Ruhengeri which; is also sometimes known as Musanze. Musanze is Rwanda's most mountainous district, containing the largest part of the Volcanoes National Park and its head office at Kinigi. Five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga chain (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura) are within the district boundaries. It is also in this district that most of Rwanda's mountain gorillas are found, making it the most popular tourist destination in the country. Musanze's capital, Ruhengeri, is one of the largest cities in Rwanda and serves as a hub for tourists.

It is easy for a volunteer to access the rest corners of the country from Musanze for example Musanze is at 1h drive from Gisenyi and the Democratic Republic of Congo border. Gisenyi is known for its super weekends for water sports lovers. Musanze is also at 2h30 drive from Kigali and at 25 minutes to the Cyanika, the Uganda border.

A day as a volunteer varies on a daily basis. The day stars by a briefing at Partners For Conservation HQs before the volunteer drives to the field. The volunteer is required to carry some snacks and drinks as the lunch won’t be served until the field is one which normal goes beyond the lunch time. After the field, the volunteer drives back to the office for a field report and preparation of the next day. The day ends at 4:30pm

Partners For Conservation ensures volunteer intervention supports the necessary need and where a volunteer is happy to intervene.  Partners For Conservation supports volunteer’s intervention by providing a comprehensive team involving among others a driver (where necessary), a local interpreter and senior officer/ project manager.  This is key to ensure there’s excellent communication on and off the field for a successful intervention and teamwork. Generally, volunteers can expect to be involved in the following main activities: organising conferences and video-debates on environment and climate change issues, tree nursery development and management, tree planting campaigns, technical and advisory assistance to environmental clubs in terms of development and management by organising youth camps, contributing to the development of school and green gardens, conducting environmental education through the celebration of environmental week and training, implementation of any environmental projects and representing the organisation in environmental gatherings such as meetings, seminars and training.

Volunteer can join this programme at any time throughout the year as dictated by the targeted population. On arrival, Partners For Conservation organizes a shuttle to pick up the volunteer at the airport (the organisation also provides a shuttle to drop the volunteer at the end of the volunteering). Upon arrival at PFC HQs and introduction to the staff, a volunteer is given a week for cultural immersion after which he’s introduced to the field and partners including beneficiaries and local authorities of where the activities are located. During the cultural immersion programme, the volunteer assisted by a personal interpreter visits important places in the area such as markets, recreation places etc and is introduced to the ways of living of Rwandans.

A volunteer is free agent on the free, public day and on leave. However, volunteers are required to follow rules provided by where they stay this implies that they are called to communicate about their time in and out of the lodge for example. Partners For Conservation recommends the best activities based to those available in and around the town although volunteers are free to choose according to their preferences. For volunteers looking to travel away from their bases (for holidays for example,) they’re requested to dully fill annual leave application forms available at Partners For Conservation. Volunteers are free to do whatever they want except political activities.