Buhoma Community Development Association (BCDA) is a community based business enterprise initiated and managed by the local community around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP). It was created in 1993 to enable local people to earn a living in a sustainable way, promoting the conservation of the unique local ecosystem.
BCDA runs Buhoma Community Rest Camp, where travellers can stay in clean, well-maintained traditional Bandas (huts), or at camping grounds on the edge of the forest. Both African and Western food is served at a mini bar and restaurant, and a craft centre sells local goods. The Buhoma Rest Camp targets budget travelers as well as backpackers and it is one of the most popular budget options in the Buhoma Sector.
BCDA also runs the Buhoma Haven Lodge. The lodge is a midraneg lodge on the Edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Lodge opened in December 2014 to help BMCDA cater for clients interested in something more than budget accommodation.
Another project is a community based Tour and Travel Company, Bwindi Eco-Tours. Members of the local community are trained to be tourist guides showing visitors the local wildlife. Whether you are staying at Buhoma Community Haven Lodge, at Buhoma Community Rest Camp or at any other place at Buhoma, the company organise a number of interesting activities for you:
Mountain Gorilla Tracking: Gorillas being the most likely reason for your visit, we will make sure your experience is as memorable as possible. Please purchase your permits in advance at the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) office in Kampala or through a tour company.
Buhoma Community Village Walk: This guided walk gives great insight into the traditional African way of life. Wandering through the village, guests are exposed to inspirational dances and songs, a traditional healer who prescribes cures for anything from the common cold to male impotency, banana wine and gin making, tea and coffee plantations, and much much more. $15 per person. It can be combined with Batwa Tradition ($25 for both). See more in the Photo Gallery.
Batwa Tradition: The purpose of this walking tour is to present the forest life of the original inhabitants of Bwindi, Batwa “Pygmies”, while providing them with an important source of income. Your Batwa guide will introduce you to different uses of plants and insects, the way Batwa used to bury their deceased members, fire making, hunting and honey collecting. The tour ends with a traditional homestead, dances and music. $20 per person. It can be combined with Buhoma Community Village Walk ($25 for both). See more in the Photo Gallery.
Bwindi Community Hospital Tour: A guided circuit through the premises of an award-winning private not-for-profit health institution, taking about 40 minutes. Visitors are given the opportunity to interact with local staff and volunteers, take photographs and witness the excellent work of the hospital. They see the children’s ward and the maternity wing, hear about the hospital’s extensive community outreach and learn about its public health programme. Free of charge.
Gorilla Research Clinic Tour: $15 per person.
Give Back to the Community
Tourism needs to be giving back to the community. To make sure that happens, Buhoma Community Development Association (BCDA) has brought together over 7,000 community members for the benefit of development, improved livelihoods, and conservation of natural resources. BCDA is assisting local people to obtain reputable employment and empowering them with the necessary skills to not only guide tourists but to further their career goals.
You can fullfill this mission by staying at Buhoma Community Haven Lodge or at Buhoma Community Rest Camp and by doing the Buhoma Community Village Walk/Batwa Tradition.
Revenue earned from our guests transfers to BMCDA and is then dispersed to local community projects. The following are some of those projects: Buhoma Community Primary School, Buhoma Community High School, Buhoma Gravity Water Flow Scheme, Rainwater Harvesting, Pineapple and Vegetable Growing Project, Buhoma Cooperative Savings and Credit Society.
BMCDA is owned by community members of the Mukono Parish in Kanungu District. Its constitution was designed and adopted by all members through a consultative and participatory approach and has various governing and management structures.
BMCDA was founded by Mukono parish members, Uganda Wildlife Authority, and a United States Peace Corp volunteer John Dubois in 1992. Other partners include Institute Of Tropical Forest Conservation, International Gorilla Conservation Programme and the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust.