Traditional Ugandan Cooking Class
Volcanoes Safaris, a great ape ecotourism business specializing in mountain gorilla safaris to Uganda and Rwanda, is helping to support underprivileged local communities in remote Southwest Uganda near the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest by working in collaboration with a non-profit organization called AMAGARA (Bwindi Advanced Market Gardeners’ Association).
Bwindi AMAGARA (meaning “life”) is a farming cooperative that helps local farmers produce and market foods for the tourism industry. Guests of Volcanoes Safaris are encouraged to join AMAGARA daily to learn how to cook authentic Ugandan food on traditional charcoal stoves. AMAGARA’s chef, Moses, shares his knowledge of traditional dishes, including some interesting twists to recognizable favorites. AMAGARA teaches local communities farming techniques that minimize damage to the environment and forest and maximize the nutritional value of meals they provide for their families. 
Volcanoes Safaris’ eco-lodge in Bwindi (pictured) also purchases produce for their guest menus from AMAGARA. Through this partnership, they provide a direct link between tourism, increased community income, and providing local communities with a powerful resource to conserve the area’s ecosystem.
In addition to cooking classes and tours, Bwindi AMAGARA is developing a range of delicious gifts which are produced by local people and sold to visitors within the area, including honey, beeswax candles, and tea — all of which are sourced within the Bwindi area and which directly benefit local people.
Watch how French beans are grown in Bwindi.
