Supporting the families of fallen Rangers who protected Virunga National Park

Through education, healthcare, and access to sustainable livelihoods, the fund ensures that families are supported with dignity — and that the mission their loved ones stood for continues.

Standing with Rangers’ Families

The Fallen Rangers Fund provides long-term support to the widows and children of Virunga Rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Since Virunga was established as a national park in 1925, more than 200 Rangers have been killed while protecting the Park’s wildlife, habitats, and neighbouring communities. Before the Fund was in place, widows received little to no financial support, with their families often becoming severely impoverished.

In 2007, Park management began identifying the widows and families of fallen Rangers, reaching back to those affected since the start of the regional conflict in 1991. Today, when a Ranger is killed, a dedicated fund is immediately set up, and all donations are directed to the Ranger’s widow.

During the first six months, the Park continues to pay the Ranger’s full salary. After this period, the widow receives a pension to help provide stability as the family adjusts to life after loss. Widows and their children also receive access to medical care and schooling through Park facilities.

  • WidowsTrainingFacilities-scaled
    Training Facilities

    Widows are offered the opportunity to take part in training and employment within the Park’s facilities. The ultimate goal is to help support these women to get beyond bare subsistence living. Equally important is to foster a sense of community and strengthen their optimism for what the future holds.

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park
  • Rumangabo Widow's workshop ladies creating designs
    Rumangabo Sewing Workshop

    At the Rumangabo workshop, opened in September 2016, women are taught sewing—skills from which they can earn a living. They learn to make a wide array of products from curtains, and napkins, toiletries pouches, and cushions covers.

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park
  • Children show they care at Virunga
    Childcare at the Workshop

    A childcare and education facility has been created at the workshops, to further support the families. Widows are also provided with educational opportunities such as reading, writing, and family planning.

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park
  • Mustora Widow's Workshop ladies making their products
    Mutsora Workshop

    The Mutsora Workshop, which opened its doors in September 2017, hosts the widows from the Northern Sector of Virunga. At Mutsora, the women can be found making patchwork quilts and mending Ranger’s uniforms or shoes—contributing to Virunga’s daily life in a variety of ways.

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park
  • Virunga Widows knitting at home
    In-home Employment Options

    For those who prefer to stay at home to look after their children, there are options to train in making small handicrafts such as bracelets and jewellery.

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park
  • plush elephants made at the Widow's workshop
    Workshop Production

    The workshops are now producing items for our tourism shop, large orders for zoos and botanical gardens, and private orders. For information on how to order, please email [email protected]

    Photo credit: Virunga National Park

Widows Workshop, Rumangabo

As well as financial support, Virunga endeavors to provide young widows with opportunities for personal development via work-based training within Virunga’s various departments.

Having taken advantage of the scheme, which aims to empower vulnerable women, one electrical engineering graduate now works for Virunga Energies, supplying sustainably produced power to homes and businesses across the region. There are four women who have been trained as chocolatiers in the Virunga Origins chocolate factory, with a further two being equipped with the knowhow for marketing the end product in Goma.

Photo credit: Bobby Neptune

Since September 2016, I have been part of the sewing workshop for widows of the fallen Rangers in Virunga. As a widow, participating in the workshop has been extremely helpful. We went from living in very difficult conditions to now having a house. With the money earned through the workshop activities, I can now send my 4 children to school. The widows' workshop is a project that has brought me a great deal of joy because it has enabled my children to attend school and live well. We love this project and hope that it will continue for many years.

Jeanette

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