Help Virunga's mountain gorillas and park rangers!
Donation protected
We are cousins Senan (aged 7), Rafael (7), Helena (9), Eloisa (10), Piran (12) and Alex (14). We're raising money to support endangered mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park in Congo, and the brave rangers who risk their lives to protect the park’s exceptional wildlife.
What are we doing to raise funds for Virunga?
* Sponsored swims in the freezing cold Irish Sea!
* Running our very own 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' quiz - two quizzes every week!
* Making and selling home made greeting cards
* Cleaning and gardening
* Playing in online music concerts
A bit about Virunga (you can watch our film about Virunga here )
Virunga National Park, in Congo, is Africa’s most biologically diverse protected area. Bordering Uganda and Rwanda, it's home to more than 3,000 species. 300 of those species are unique to the area, including the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
It's estimated that there are only around 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the world. Virunga is home to around a third of those.
Infant gorillas are abducted and sold to zoos and people who want them as pets, usually leading to the loss of at least one adult, as members of a group fight to protect their young. War and insecurity in the region increase poaching and damage the gorillas' habitat and population.
Today, Virunga is protected by a dedicated team of 689 rangers, local men and women who go through intensive training and risk their lives every day to protect the Park’s wildlife.
To date, over 200 rangers have been killed protecting Virunga, the highest fatality rate for any protected area on earth.
How the money will be spent
The Virunga National Park has identified 3 areas where our donations can help: (1) support a ranger to continue their work, (2) ensure that widows and children of fallen rangers are cared for, and (3) help care for the orphan gorillas in the Park.
The donations are managed by the Virunga Foundation, a charitable organisation under British law, whose mission is to contribute to the protection and development of the park; and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, an institution of the Democratic Republic of Congo responsible for the protection of nature.
Why we care about this
We were shocked to learn how few mountain gorillas are left in the world. Watching magnificent mountain gorillas in documentaries, and seeing the bravery of the park rangers who protect them every day, made us want to do something to help to save this endangered species and their habitat, so that they are there for a very long time.
We are very grateful for any support to our fundraiser for Virunga!
What are we doing to raise funds for Virunga?
* Sponsored swims in the freezing cold Irish Sea!
* Running our very own 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' quiz - two quizzes every week!
* Making and selling home made greeting cards
* Cleaning and gardening
* Playing in online music concerts
A bit about Virunga (you can watch our film about Virunga here )
Virunga National Park, in Congo, is Africa’s most biologically diverse protected area. Bordering Uganda and Rwanda, it's home to more than 3,000 species. 300 of those species are unique to the area, including the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
It's estimated that there are only around 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the world. Virunga is home to around a third of those.
Infant gorillas are abducted and sold to zoos and people who want them as pets, usually leading to the loss of at least one adult, as members of a group fight to protect their young. War and insecurity in the region increase poaching and damage the gorillas' habitat and population.
Today, Virunga is protected by a dedicated team of 689 rangers, local men and women who go through intensive training and risk their lives every day to protect the Park’s wildlife.
To date, over 200 rangers have been killed protecting Virunga, the highest fatality rate for any protected area on earth.
How the money will be spent
The Virunga National Park has identified 3 areas where our donations can help: (1) support a ranger to continue their work, (2) ensure that widows and children of fallen rangers are cared for, and (3) help care for the orphan gorillas in the Park.
The donations are managed by the Virunga Foundation, a charitable organisation under British law, whose mission is to contribute to the protection and development of the park; and the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, an institution of the Democratic Republic of Congo responsible for the protection of nature.
Why we care about this
We were shocked to learn how few mountain gorillas are left in the world. Watching magnificent mountain gorillas in documentaries, and seeing the bravery of the park rangers who protect them every day, made us want to do something to help to save this endangered species and their habitat, so that they are there for a very long time.
We are very grateful for any support to our fundraiser for Virunga!
Organizer
Catherine McSweeney
Organizer
Ixelles