Author: Astone Miya

Ha’ buharo Island Travel

“Far From the Madding Crowd” is indeed a befitting name for this wonderful tented refuge on Lake Bunyonyi. A picture paints a thousand words they say, but the photographs I had seen of Habuharo fell far short of preparing me for the angelic weekend I was to spend at this enchanting “island of bird song”. The journey from Kampala was six hours,  and so  I got to Kabale town at 1 pm having left Kampala at seven in the morning. I found my way to the awaiting Ha’buharo motorboat docked at the landing called ‘Harutindo’, literally translated from the local language as “at the bridge”.

The lake is refreshingly unspoiled, with magnificently still, clear water, free of bilharzia and crocs. Dick, the charming boatman-come-tour guide brought the captivating history of the lake to life as he graphically narrated the historical tales of the different islands on our way to Habuharo.

The most interesting of the tales is the story of ‘Akampene Island’, where it is said that many years ago, girls in the community that became pregnant out of wedlock were taken, abandoned, and left to starve to death! However, Dick was quick to add, that it is also said that poor men who could not afford bride price would go to the island at night and take the banished pregnant girls as their wives.

Then there is the story of  Bwama Island, to which lepers were deposited and left to live in isolation under the care of the missionary Dr. Sharp.  Bwama is now a thriving community, not a leper colony. So, the boat ride in itself is a sweet and sour combination of the therapeutic effect of crystal clear serene waters and the emotional journey into an almost surreal history of Lake Bunyonyi.

Ha’buharo grabs you from the instant you set eyes on it. Its circular shape and lush green foliage and trees are spell-binding. The water around the landing pier is covered with water lilies. Joseph, the manager, in the same boisterous welcoming manner as Dick, helped me out of the boat, and within a few minutes, I had walked up a winding cobbled pathway to the Club House. The smell of freshly baked bread and a hot face towel was a wonderful welcome as I settled into the lounge to check-in. The lounge décor is simple and tasteful, very much in keeping with the surrounding environment.

After a speedy check-in, I was escorted to the ‘Shamaza Tent’ magically hidden among the trees.  That evening, after a hot shower in an en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, I sat on the tent deck drinking wine, the orange rays of the setting sun shone through the trees creating a spectacular sight; perfect silence is broken only by the chorus of birds.  I was intrigued by the modern amenities such as the hot showers and the electric lighting; until I was informed the entire place is powered by a solar plant.   I had the most comfortable night’s sleep in crisp cotton linen, and awoke the next morning to the angelic melody of Birdsong!  I could see the lake through the trees, invitingly fresh, and I could hear a paddle striking the water like a canoe quietly passed by.

After a good old-fashioned English breakfast, my friend Tara, an avid bird watcher, went to a nearby Nyombe swamp where one can watch as many as 200 species.  I spent the first part of the morning playing golf at the island’s four-hole mini-golf range, along the lakeshore, quite an experience!  That evening, we dined around a campfire and later burned off the calories as we danced the vigorous ‘kikiga’ dance with the Habuharo local troupe.

My final day was spent off the island with the ‘Batwa’, the Pygmies, about one hour’s boat ride away. Fascinating people, living in a world of their own, but that’s a story for another day.

The Habuharo experience is indeed therapy for the soul and is fast becoming a favorite stopover for gorilla trackers headed for the Bwindi impenetrable forest.

Review by Jan Lewis.

Clinics and Doctors

Clinics / Cliniques

Clinique Liberte, Tel: +250 507063

Hospital Roi Faycale, Tel: +250 82421, 85397,
Fax:+250 570184

Faith Clinic, Avenue de la Paix. Tel: +250 570296.

Polyclinique Centrale de Kigali, Tel: +250 576377.

Polyclinique du Carefour, Tel: +250 571361/62.

Polyclinique du Plateau, Blvd de la Revolution,
Tel: +250 578767, Fax: +250 572125

Polyfam, Avenue de la Justice, Ameki Color Building,
Tel: +250 573477, Fax: +250 578885

Dentists / Dentistes

Clinique Dentaire Adventiste, Tel: +250 582431.

Doctors / Médecins

Medecine Generaliste, Avenue du lac Burera,
Tel: +250 576357 or +250 08638548,
Fax: +250 576357

Medecine Generaliste, Tel: +250 573557

Main Hospitals / Grands Hopitaux

King Faisal Hospital, Tel: +250 582421,
585397, 582469, Fax: +250 583203,
E-mail: faisal@rwanda1.com

CHUK, Tel: +250 575406/575555/575150/
575462, Fax: +250 576638,
E-mail: chk@rwandatel1.rwanda1.com,
www.chk.org.rw

Polyclique du Plateau, Tel: +250 578767,
Fax: +250 572125, E-mail pcp@rwanda1.com

Ophthalmology / Ophthalmologue

Clinique Ophtalmologique, Tel: +250 571143.

Opticians / Opticiens

DK Optica Avenue du Commerce, (041) 571804.

Nu Vision Optical, City Plaza Avenue du Commerce.

Kigaloptic, Rue de Lac Ihema, (Building Ets Ndamage), Tel: +250 573041, Fax: +250 573041,
Email: minjb@rwandatel1.rwanda1.com

O.P.A Pharmacies s.a.r.l, Tel: +250 511089, 575389, Fax: +250 574749

Clinics and Doctors

Clinics / Cliniques

Clinique Liberte, Tel: +250 507063

Hospital Roi Faycale, Tel: +250 82421, 85397,
Fax:+250 570184

Faith Clinic, Avenue de la Paix. Tel: +250 570296.

Polyclinique Centrale de Kigali, Tel: +250 576377.

Polyclinique du Carefour, Tel: +250 571361/62.

Polyclinique du Plateau, Blvd de la Revolution,
Tel: +250 578767, Fax: +250 572125

Polyfam, Avenue de la Justice, Ameki Color Building,
Tel: +250 573477, Fax: +250 578885

Dentists / Dentistes

Clinique Dentaire Adventiste, Tel: +250 582431.

Doctors / Médecins

Medecine Generaliste, Avenue du lac Burera,
Tel: +250 576357 or +250 08638548,
Fax: +250 576357

Medecine Generaliste, Tel: +250 573557

Main Hospitals / Grands Hopitaux

King Faisal Hospital, Tel: +250 582421,
585397, 582469, Fax: +250 583203,
E-mail: faisal@rwanda1.com

CHUK, Tel: +250 575406/575555/575150/
575462, Fax: +250 576638,
E-mail: chk@rwandatel1.rwanda1.com,
www.chk.org.rw

Polyclique du Plateau, Tel: +250 578767,
Fax: +250 572125, E-mail pcp@rwanda1.com

Ophthalmology / Ophthalmologue

Clinique Ophtalmologique, Tel: +250 571143.

Opticians / Opticiens

DK Optica Avenue du Commerce, (041) 571804.

Nu Vision Optical, City Plaza Avenue du Commerce.

Kigaloptic, Rue de Lac Ihema, (Building Ets Ndamage), Tel: +250 573041, Fax: +250 573041,
Email: minjb@rwandatel1.rwanda1.com

O.P.A Pharmacies s.a.r.l, Tel: +250 511089, 575389, Fax: +250 574749

“I bought a three-piece suite with my first payment and a new sideboard with the second. So now, every time I sit on my sofa or use my sideboard I think of my trees”, said Beatrice Ahsimbwe, a widowed school teacher from Bushenyi. She had been asked to tell her story to a group of international experts during a meeting on payments for ecosystem services. As a result, she was invited to a global meeting on climate change in Montreal, and Beatrice herself is now considered to be one of those experts.

Beatrice grows trees, but not just any old trees. She grows trees that earn her an income just by being there quietly absorbing carbon dioxide (the most important of the six greenhouse gases affecting global climate change). She joined a program for smallholder farmers to pay to plant and maintain additional trees on their spare land. It follows the ‘Plan Vivo’ methodology that was first implemented in Mexico. The program is a carbon offsetting scheme…

Offset Markets
Carbon markets involve the buying and selling of greenhouse gas emission allowances. These are created by either a regulatory body or from emission reduction projects. They put a monetary cost on pollution which punishes the emission sinners (those who emit more) and benefits the saints (those who emit less).

There are two varieties of carbon offset. The first is a ‘compliance’ offset controlled through the famous Kyoto Protocol, which is a treaty that binds countries (and major businesses in those countries) to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by specific amounts. There are a number of ways of doing this – either by being more energy-efficient, by using better, cleaner technology or by purchasing carbon credits through the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – where buyers can acquire carbon credits from projects in developing countries that are also contributing to sustainable development. These offset projects have to follow tight rules, and show that they are additional to what would have happened compared to “business as usual”. Sounds simple, but can be difficult and expensive to prove. The bulk of these credits come from large projects in China, India, and Brazil, and have had hardly any benefit for Africa.

The other type of offset is ‘voluntary’; where a company or an individual’s motivation to do something about climate change is the driver for action, rather than regulatory pressure. These offsets come from projects, often involving alternative energy and tree planting, that are not CDM certified (but comply with one of a number of other methodologies), but still, reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These offsets have opened up the opportunity for individuals to reduce their personal “carbon footprint” (their emissions generated from using energy, traveling, and general lifestyle). Companies do the same under corporate social responsibility activities. These schemes are quicker to organize and are less complex to verify, and often have other measured benefits associated with them, such as biodiversity and community aspects. Beatrice’s carbon falls under this category, and they offer real market opportunities for other project developers in Uganda.

In both sets of markets, a credit can vary greatly in value. A seller may be able to obtain between $3 and $12 per ton of CO2 equivalent. Gourmet carbon is the name being given to credits in the voluntary market that have good ethical and social values attached to them, which will cost more. The Kyoto compliance market tends to just focus on carbon credits as a commodity and goes for the lowest price.

Carbon in Uganda
‘Compliance’ carbon initiatives within Uganda have been limited because of the large amount of time and transaction costs involved with achieving certification, but the National Forestry Authority has recently developed one such project in south-western Uganda that involves tree planting.

The voluntary market in Uganda includes UWA’s sale of credits from projects in two national parks (Mt. Elgon and Kibale Forest), and of course, there is the Plan Vivo scheme of Beatrice and her neighbors. Both markets are giving the NFA and UWA the future prospect of accessing carbon funding to avoid the deforestation of their threatened protected areas.

A new private-sector entity, the ugandaCarbon bureau limited – uC-b – has recently been established to help Uganda take advantage of these markets, and to give local companies and organizations a chance to go ‘carbon neutral. The bureau handles a variety of business activities including:

• Marketing of carbon services to Ugandan firms,

• Provision of support and advice to Ugandan organizations on the generation of carbon credits,

• Development of new standards and packages
for further smallholder schemes,

• Education and publicity work to develop awareness
in Uganda.

If you would like further information on Carbon Finance, or on the ways of becoming involved in the carbon markets, contact the bureau.

Uganda Carbon Bureau Ltd. P.O. Box 70480 Kampala
Plot 47 Lubowa Estate, Tel:+256 752 644 611
Email: farmers66@yahoo.com

Useful Numbers

Emergency

Fire Brigade: 112 (Toll-Free)

Police: 999 (Toll-Free)

Electrical: 185 (Toll-Free)

Water: 197 (Toll-Free)

Doctor: The Surgery (041) 256003

Doctor: International Hospital Kampala (041) 340531

Dentist: Basil’s Dental Clinic (0312) 260231

IAA (International Air Ambulance): (0312) 200508

Useful Numbers

The Eye (U) Ltd: 0312 251 117/8

Celtel Helpline: 1100 (Toll-Free)

MTN Helpline: 123 (Toll-Free)

UTL Helpline: 222 (Toll-Free)

Directory Enquiries: 901

International Directory Enquiries: 0901

Operator: 0900

Kampala Aero Club and Flight: (041) 320002

Entebbe Airport: (0312) 353100, (041) 353000

AUTO – Association of Uganda Tour Operators: (041) 542599 or 0772 635669

AAU – Automobile Association of Uganda: (041) 250745, (041) 255917

Immigration Department: (041) 231031/3

Post-Uganda: (041) 255511/2/3

Vet – House calls, (Dr. Julie Nayiga): 0772 477569

Vet – Patrick 0772 509851

Vet – Dr. Johnson 0772 300300

Multichoice: 0312 245245

UTB – Uganda Tourist Board: (041) 342196/7

Uganda National Theatre: (041) 254567, (0312) 264569

USPCA – Uganda Society for Protection Care of Animals: 0772 403789

Uganda Wildlife Authority – Plot 7 Kira Road, Kamwokya, Kampala.
Tel: 041 346288 / 355000. Fax: 041 346291. Email: uwa@uwa.or.ug.
Website: www.uwa.or.ug

Buses in Rwanda

Atraco Express, Rue Mont Kibuye.

Gaso Bus Company, Nyabugogo Taxi Park.

Jaguar Bus Company, Avenue de La Paix,
Tel:+250 08614838

Ontracom Express, Nyamirambo Street,
Tel: +250 571241

Regional Coaches: Nyabugogo Taxi Park,
Tel: +250 575963.

Stella Express, Rue Mont Kibuye.

Trans Express 2000, Rue Mont Kibuye.

Venus Travel s.a.r.l., Avenue de la Justice,
Tel: +250 87752, Fax: +250 570304

Virunga Express, Rue du Lac Rwero,
Tel: +250 08431960/08510873

Volcanoes, Rue Mont Kibuye.