In Africa
May 2008
Next stop was Uganda, where I was reunited with Park ranger, friend and star of the film Mr John Makombo. When filming, John was chief ranger in charge of mountain gorillas in Uganda, but now thankfully for John and conservation he is deputy director of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.
So, with some careful planning prior to my visit, 11 widows were approved to receive over a year’s salary($1000 USD). With John’s assistance of a ranger’s vehicle and comedic driver Pascal, myself and volunteer and friend Brett Vogel, traveled the length and breadth of Uganda, meeting, formalising paperwork and significantly paying these widows some money to assist them and their families.
Many said they felt they were forgotten people who lived in darkness with little hope for the future and that this support was like a miracle that would start small businesses, pay school fees and improve accommodation for them and their families. I explained that these payments were only possible because of the generous contributions of many supporters from around the world who appreciated and respected the efforts of the rangers and wanted to support their families.
Rangers’ families supported
The fallen rangers whose families were supported in Uganda on this trip were:
Matthew Kundu: Matthew was abducted from Nataba outpost in July 2003 by armed thugs and was later found dead at the caldera in the Park.
Apollo Makayi: Apollo was murdered by poachers at Nataba ranger station in july 2003.
Stephen Satya: Stephen was also murdered in the same incident as Apollo at Nataba ranger station in July 2003.
Leonard Kilongi: Leonard was shot by an unknown gunman while on night guard duty in Moroto.
John Lokinga: On May 11 2003 John was shot by suspected Sudanese poachers while on patrol in Kidepo National Park in the north.
Alex Ojera: On December 19th 2005 Ales was shot by warriors along Katido?Kaabong Rd while escorting other rangers and workers to and from the bank to collect their pay for Christmas.
Joseph Lobuin: on December 9 Joseph disappeared while working in Murchinson falls. Many theories surrounded his death but his body has never been found. Poacher or animal attack seem the likely explanation.
Anthony Abolia: Anthony died on December 9 2004 as a result of a bad car accident while on official duty.
Paul Ngoya: was murdered on August 4 2003, shot by cattle rustlers.
Atimu Mark: was murdered by an unknown gunman on the October 9 2006
Charles Mpoorampora: was killed by Allied Democratic Rebels from the Congo when he was deployed in Ntoroko.
Many will be familiar with his story – John Makombo mentions him in the film.
It was very humbling to deliver the funds to the families of these fallen colleagues and provide them with some assistance. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been involved in someway to make this possible. However, these rangers represent only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rangers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, and consequently the families that require our support. We now know of over 500 rangers in the Congo alone who have been killed over the last decade due to the war and poaching that continues.
As a nice ending to Uganda we also got to revisit our ranger friends and community at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Staying a the community camp we caught up with all of the local community and rangers such as Caleb Tusimee who features in the gorilla trekking of the film. We showed the film to his family but also to the whole community and tourists. In a nice twist we showed the film in the open aired banda, the very same banda in which John Makombo’s interview was filmed four years previous, where he makes his classic “we are one family…” remark for the end quote of the film, a full circle moment.
A real treat for me was the opportunity to go and see the same mountain gorilla family I had filmed for The Thin Green Line, and I was especially keen to revisit the charismatic young baby gorilla who captured everyone’s imagination in the film with her beating of her chest and falling over. It was pouring with rain so all the gorillas went for cover … all except the baby who at six years of age now came out in the rain and sat right in front of myself, Brett and the camera.
