CEO/FOUNDER
GREGORY BAKUNZI – CEO/FOUNDER RED ROCKS RWANDA
Gregory Bakunzi founder of Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development, a non-profit organization registered in Rwanda in 2017, that supports sustainable development and conservation initiatives in Rwanda, with its headquarters in Musanze, near the volcanoes national park. The organization was initiated from the idea that sustainable tourism and environmental conservation has the power to uplift the disadvantaged people around Volcanoes National Park and instill in them a sense of purpose and pride.
Since my completion of my secondary education in 1993, I have been very much passionate about conservation, community -based tourism and environmental conservation. After the atrocities of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, I returned back into Rwanda and established a tour company, Amahoro Tours, where I gained experience working a tour organizer and a guide for Over lander trucks like Absolute Africa, Acacia, Oasis and other overseas tour operators who were selling gorilla trips into Rwanda.
My professionalism and reliability, along with my exceptional understanding of the needs and desires of international visitors, have gained me renown among clients and respect among the members of local communities. I was a co-founder and president of the Ruhengeri Community Eco-Tourism Association, a local association of people collaborating to enhance tourism development in Rwanda. As from 2007 once Rwanda was recognized as the best gorilla trekking destination and many tourists were visiting Rwanda thought of the idea of linking tourism, conservation and community development projects, I molded Red Rocks Intercultural center as a social enterprise to create an avenue on how local communities residing near the volcanoes national park can gain through showcasing our traditional way of living to the visiting tourists.
These cultural activities were geared towards uplifting the socio-economic lives of the local community around Nyakimana village through ever widening programs like basketry, weaving, pottery, traditional music and dancing among others, which made tourists interact with the local community thus providing some income to the local community. By 2017 I founded Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable development, a nonprofit organization to work with communities around the volcanoes National Park. Here we promote development by involving local people in programs that improve community social economic wellbeing through Environmental Conservation, Arts & Culture, Education, and Community Health & Food Security Initiatives.
Through my networks of national and international organizations such as Rwanda Development Board, Linking Tourism and conservation, Green Destination, African Board they were all happy to take part in Red Rocks Intercultural center cultural / ecotourism activities, thus we created mutual partnerships to make sustainable tourism activities in Rwanda a success. I work with an experienced and highly motivated local staff team responsible for client contacts, as well as tour development and facilitation. I achieved great honor and milestone when I was awarded a certificate for being a TOP 100 mid-sized company for the year 2012/2013. The certificate was presented by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Business Excellence Awards and in 2021 we were awarded UNWTO best tourism village award.
Email: greg@redrocksrwanda.com
Telephone: +250784685285
