Giving Back More Than We Take

We proudly commit:

• 3% of each trip proceeds to local conservation efforts in Uganda and Rwanda

• 1% to global climate action through certified carbon offsetting

• 15% of annual revenue to environmental and community sustainability programs

By investing directly in grassroots initiatives, we help protect endangered ecosystems and inspire communities to become the frontline stewards of the land they’ve lived with for generations.

🌿 Restoring Harmony Between People and Nature

In regions like Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Bwindi Forest region of Uganda, the balance between human survival and environmental preservation is delicate. Forests are sacred and life-sustaining — yet communities that border these protected areas have long been excluded from their care and benefits.

ASJ works to bridge this divide through immersive education, reforestation, cultural revitalization, and behavioral transformation.

🌋 Rwanda’s Volcanoes Region: A Living Conservation Classroom

In the shadow of Rwanda’s volcanic mountains, ASJ collaborates with community leaders, reformed hunters, and local educators to rebuild a culture of conservation. These initiatives are designed not only to stop environmental degradation but to create a shared ethic of care for wildlife and wild places.

Key Actions Include:

• Environmental education workshops for families and schoolchildren, focusing on the role of biodiversity, climate resilience, and peaceful coexistence with gorillas.

• Conservation-themed community theatre and storytelling, drawing on local folklore to build pride in traditional ecological knowledge.

• Community-led forest walks and field days that teach sustainable land-use practices and celebrate conservation milestones.

• Youth ambassador programs, equipping local teens to serve as peer educators and conservation champions in their villages.

Through these efforts, ASJ transforms former extractive mindsets into protective, regenerative relationships with nature.

“When the community understands the forest, they protect it. When they are proud of it, they defend it.”

🌳 Bwindi Forest, Uganda: From Displacement to Environmental Stewardship

For the Batwa Indigenous people, the forest was once home, healer, and heritage. After their displacement from Bwindi in 1991, many Batwa lost their connection to this sacred ecosystem — and with it, the knowledge that had protected the forest for generations.

ASJ is committed to reconnecting the Batwa with their ecological legacy through culturally grounded conservation programs that honor both tradition and innovation.

Our Work in Bwindi Includes:

• Environmental awareness campaigns tailored to Batwa cultural perspectives, using oral tradition, music, and dance to rekindle intergenerational respect for nature.

• Collaborative reforestation efforts, where Batwa families grow and plant native trees along degraded park boundaries, helping to restore biodiversity corridors and water cycles.

• Forest-based education for children and youth, where Batwa elders serve as ecological mentors, teaching forest lore, animal behavior, and medicinal plant use.

• Community-led monitoring of local flora and fauna to foster active participation in conservation science.

These programs not only revitalize Indigenous knowledge but also equip the Batwa to become co-stewards of the ecosystem they were once excluded from.

🪴 Nurturing Roots for a Greener Future

Conservation begins with understanding — and grows through connection. That’s why ASJ doesn’t just fund conservation; we live it, teach it, and plant it. Every tree we help grow, every child we help educate, and every family we involve strengthens the long-term resilience of Africa’s threatened habitats.

Our conservation approach includes:

• Establishing and supporting tree nurseries in both Uganda and Rwanda

• Organizing seasonal tree planting campaigns with local schools and community volunteers

• Incorporating conservation activities into all ASJ travel itineraries, from forest walks to hands-on restoration projects

• Hosting awareness days and environmental clean-up events in park-bordering villages

These activities promote ownership, pride, and long-term commitment to preserving the ecological treasures of East Africa.

📚 Why Environmental Education is the True Conservation Tool

While donations and policies play their part, we believe that the most powerful conservation tool is education. A child who understands the value of biodiversity is less likely to harm it. A family who sees the forest as a partner in survival will fight to protect it.

Across our programs, conservation literacy is at the core — and we tailor our content to be locally relevant, engaging, and empowering.

Our Education Focus:

• Forest-friendly farming and firewood alternatives

• Waste management and pollution awareness

• Wildlife tracking and identification for school groups and researchers.

• Cultural ecology: reconnecting heritage with habitat

• Gender-inclusive conservation roles for women and girls

• Education tours: visiting wildlife sanctuaries, zoos, and parks for experiential learning.

🤝 How You Can Help Protect Africa’s Wild Heart

You don’t have to walk the forest paths with us to be part of this mission.

• Travel with Purpose: Every ASJ journey supports environmental action

• Sponsor a Forest Education Event: Fund or organize a workshop, awareness day, conservation camp, or tree planting activity

• Partner with Us: NGOs, academic institutions, changemakers, families, individuals, and conservation groups are welcome to co-create impact

• Volunteer Your Skills: From eco-education to campaign design, your knowledge can inspire

🌟 When conservation is led by the people who live closest to the wild, it becomes not just possible — but unstoppable.