Newsletter - February 2026

This month, we are pleased to present several projects.

Some are new initiatives that we discovered in November last year and with whom we have since entered into partnership.

We are proud to announce the launch of a new scholarship programme in Papua New Guinea, supporting students from the Upper Sepik region.

In addition, we invite you to discover our voluntourism and safari trip, created to support the reintroduction of rhinos in the Hwange landscape in Zimbabwe, while encouraging the development of neighbouring communities.

Meet Gorilla Junction

Gorilla Junction, Where Gorilla Tracking Empowers Women and Local Communities

Gorilla Junction operates in Nkuringo, Uganda, adjacent to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, one of the last places on earth where you can encounter mountain gorillas in the wild.

The organisation brings together tourism and community support, with a strong focus on women’s empowerment.

Gorilla Junction was founded by Lydia Eva Mpanga. Drawing on her experience and personal journey, she established Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge and Mirima Kibale Lodge. Motivated by a deep desire to give back, she created the Gorilla Junction Foundation, raised funds, and began building a community centre at the heart of Nkuringo.

Their work focuses on:

• Providing access to education
• Equipping people with practical skills
• Offering healthcare support
• Sharing access to rainwater through their infrastructure
• Reforestation
• Supporting the Batwa community

The Indigo Earth Foundation has chosen to support this initiative in several areas. During our visit to Uganda, we met local schools and identified a clear need at Nkuringo Community Secondary School. We aim to fund solar panels for the boarding school so that students can study after dark.

We invite you to discover a detailed overview of Gorilla Junction, its history, its founder, and its impact on the ground. You will also find ways to support its work.

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Meet Musekese Conservation

How Musekese Conservation Is Safeguarding Wildlife in Kafue

In November, we also met Musekese Conservation. Originally founded by the owner of Classic Zambia, which operates lodges in the Greater Kafue area, the organisation has since evolved into an independent conservation body.

Its early focus was resource protection within Kafue National Park. Musekese Conservation has been requested to shift its resource protection activities out of the National Park and refocus its operations within the surrounding Game Management Areas (GMAs), which face increasing human pressure and encroachment.

Their work is structured around three core areas:

• Research and monitoring in the park and GMAs, with a particular focus on predators such as lions, leopards, wild dogs, cheetahs and hyenas
• Resource protection
• Community development

Research plays a vital role in understanding the impact of conservation efforts. This includes citizen science programmes, camera traps, collaring, identification work, and field surveys. These studies provide valuable data that supports informed decision making for park management.

Resource protection safeguards vital wildlife habitats through law enforcement and well trained local anti-poaching teams.

Community development initiatives aim to improve livelihoods, raise awareness about wildlife, expand access to education, and organise sporting activities for young people.

The Indigo Earth Foundation believes strongly in this integrated approach and has supported the purchase of camera traps for under-studied areas within the Game Management Areas.

We encourage you to read our in-depth blog post to learn more about its history and its work on the ground.

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Voluntourism and Safari in Zimbabwe

In January, we launched our voluntourism and safari trips in Zimbabwe. A few places remain available for July 2026 and October 2027.

This is a meaningful journey that begins with 2 days at Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Then, the next seven days, you will connect with local communities, share your skills, discover conservation initiatives in the region, meet the community rhino project, before concluding with a four-night safari in one of the most remote areas of the country, known for remarkable wildlife sightings.

The trip is entirely charitable, and all profits are donated to conservation work in Zimbabwe.

You can find the two detailed itineraries on our website. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Explore our itineraries.

​July 2026​

​October 2027​

A Scholarship Milestone

This month also marks a key step for the Indigo Earth Foundation.

We have launched a scholarship programme supporting two students from the Upper Sepik region of Papua New Guinea.

We recently shared this initiative on our social media platforms. The response has been overwhelming, and we have received many messages from people reaching for help.

This confirms how great the need is. If you would like to support a student, we would be delighted to hear from you. The headman of the villages we support identifies the students most in need, based on their family circumstances and background.

Thank you for standing with us and with the communities and conservation partners we support.

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Thank you for your interest and your trust.

—
Indigo Earth Foundation