Education

Education at Ngogo

We support the education of Ugandans in several ways.

We work with local conservation-education organizations

Ugandans benefit in many ways when local wildlife is preserved and educating people about these benefits is one of the most effective approaches to conservation. With this in mind, we work closely with U.N.I.T.E. for the Environment, a non-profit organization based in nearby Bigodi that provides conservation education training to teachers in local schools. We provide U.N.I.T.E. with information and educational material related to chimpanzees and our snare removal program, which they then incorporate into their primary and secondary school teacher trainings.

Ngogo Chimpanzee Project researchers, including co-directors David Watts and Kevin Langergraber, seen here, also take part in local conservation-focused events that U.N.I.T.E. for the Environment and other local conservation-focused NGOs organize. Events like Bigodi’s annual Earth Day celebration give us a chance to meet with local schoolchildren and teach them about chimpanzees, our work at Ngogo, and why it is so important for local people and researchers alike to work to conserve chimpanzees and other animals in Kibale National Park.

We support local schools

Several researchers studying the Ngogo chimpanzees have raised funds for primary schools near the park over the years. Funds raised during the most recent fundraising campaign were used to complete construction of Kyakagunga Primary School. We are currently raising money to help fund teacher salaries at this school until they become fully government accredited.

We support the education of Ugandan adults

We also feel it is important to support the education of adults in Uganda. In this spirit, whenever funds have allowed we have granted scholarships for Ugandan Master’s students to conduct research at Ngogo during their post-graduate training through Makerere University in Kampala. We believe that this training will help them to successfully take on leadership roles in the various governmental and academic organizations that play a key role in the conservation of wildlife in Uganda.

We have now supported four Ugandan Master’s students:

Sharifah Namanganda (2022). The influence of support use and behavioral context on positional behavior in Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii. M.Sc. Thesis, Makerere University.

Mijid Kiwanuka (2010). The Role of Vertebrate Seed Dispersers and Isolated Standing trees in Forest Succession in Grasslands of Kibale National Park, Uganda. M.Sc. Thesis, Makerere University.

Samuel Angedakin (2011). Habitat Use by the Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni) in the Colonizing and Old-growth forest at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. M.Sc. Thesis, Makerere University.

*Sam is now our Project Manager and is working towards his PhD studying chimpanzees at Ngogo.

Dylis Ndibaisa. Potential Impacts of Illegal Hunting Activities on Chimpanzee Conservation in Kibale National Park. MSc. Thesis Makerere University.

*If you would like to learn more about our educational programs, please contact us at ngogochimps@gmail.com*