Iby’Iwachu Cultural Village, Volcanoes national Park, Rwanda

Located near Volcanoes National park in Kinigi (Rwanda), the Iby’Iwachu cultural  was developed to showcase the local and tradition lifestyles, activities and  art of the Rwandan culture. Iby’Iwachu cultural vilaege is a cultural region whose performances, reveals the Rwandan ways of living, their cultural dances, and more traditional lifestyles to the cultural enthusiasts, and community members. These performances are so much attached to the cultural values and are performed in a such a way that encourages all community member as well as tourists to join, which help in raising money for the local people. The amount of the income generated is used for supporting their household basic needs,  empowering the local people , encourage sustainability, to socially reduce  poverty among others s.

The e Iby’ Iwachu village is the main source of income for the local communities, as they directly earn from the community based tourism initiative to improve socio-economic ways of living as an incentive for the conservation of endangered Mountain Gorillas and their habitat.

Iby’ Iwachu Cultural Village offers an opportunity to encounter and interact with local people, in their environment with great tastes of Rwandese culture and traditions. This has been developed by the community for the community.

Why visit the  Iby’Iwachu cultural  Village.

The iby’Iwachu cultural village offers a diversity of cultural values , history, and activities which includes; Paying a visit to the replica of the king’s palace, guided by local historical and cultural guides, Visiting local traditional healers / clinics and pharmacies to learn about the different medicinal trees, shrubs and grasses and their uses and the way there are administrated to the patient, Visiting the local schools to see how lessons are conducted Rwandan traditional schools.  Other activities are; attending a local banana brewery and so as to and know how the local beer is made and have a taste,  visitors can also participate in Igitaramo , where everyone gathers around a camp fire to listen to stories and riddles and as well as dance to the drum beats.

 

The Intore and Ekinimba dancers also  perform eight different dances such as  Ibyivugo, Umuduri, Ikembe, Iningiri, Inanga,Ingoma, Amakndera, and Agakenke.

Visitors can also participate in food gathering, harvesting and preparation of food like ubugari, umutsima, ibirayi and igikoma. Guests can also participate in millet grinding with stones and see whether they have enough balance to carry potatoes and water on their heads. The  3 hour walk through Nyabigoma village provides tourists with an opportunity to visit some traditional homes and farms thus experiencing the rural Rwandan ways of living.