An Interview with Penny Bauder
Don’t forget money makes a business and a surplus funds the non-profit work that is so important. You need to make sure your finances are well run so that you have enough cash flow during difficult periods and working capital to grow. Don’t forget to deal with taxation and compliance. I was slow to realize this in the early years and ended up having a big tax bill which I had to sort out.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Praveen Moman.
Praveen Moman grew up in the wilds of Uganda, where his family was part of the pioneering Asian community that was central to opening up East Africa. He then moved to the UK as the family became refugees with the Amin expulsion. This was followed by a career as a political and policy adviser in the European Union and British Government, including working in the European Parliament.
Praveen founded Volcanoes Safaris in 1997, which has been at the forefront of pioneering and reviving gorilla tourism in Uganda and Rwanda. Under Praveen’s guiding vision, Volcanoes has designed and built four unique lodges near the great ape parks — Virunga, Mount Gahinga, Bwindi and Kyambura. Today the company is recognized for the unique great ape tourism and conservation model it has created.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Over the last twenty-five years, I have built four lodges in Rwanda and Uganda’s near-threatened gorilla and chimpanzee parks. In 2009 I set up Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust, a non-profit that runs conservation and community ecotourism programs where we operated. I sought to create a model where part of the income from tourism funds specific conservation and community activities linked to our properties, as well as improving livelihoods and skills for local people, which is crucial for getting support from local people for the conservation of wildlife and safeguarding habitat.
An example of this is our work in Uganda’s Kyambura Gorge, where a family of 28 chimpanzees are isolated due to deforestation and threatened daily by human encroachment. We’ve been able to funnel tourism dollars to buy land to create a buffer zone to reforest the land and minimize conflict. We also use those funds to develop community projects that provide training and resources to the locals, while educating them on the importance of protecting the Kyambura Gorge habitat for the livelihoods of their own community and the chimpanzees.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My father came to East Africa from India in 1937 and worked for the British colonial government. He was passionate about the wildlife and wilderness of this area and I was lucky enough to experience these riches during my childhood. In the 1970s my family became refugees from Uganda during the Amin expulsion. In 1997, post-Rwandan genocide, I was fired up by my childhood memories of the wilderness areas, and I decided to return to help rebuild tourism in Uganda and Rwanda after the years of conflict. Although it has been a challenging journey, I have sought to make a concrete contribution to safeguarding gorillas and chimps, their habitat and provide a livelihood for local people, especially the indigenous Batwa community.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
My family’s expulsion from Uganda in the 1970s inevitably created a break with our links to East Africa. My love for this region however made me continue to visit. Paradoxically seeing the suffering in the Great Lakes area following the Rwanda genocide in 1994 strengthened my connections to the area and in 1997 that made me decide to rebuild tourism. That was my aha moment. We persevered through the unstable early years and when the area settled down we began our pioneering journey of great ape tourism.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
I acquired different experiences and skills, sometimes accidentally, before setting up Volcanoes Safaris. I worked with Voluntary Service Overseas teaching in Jamaica, as well as a counselor in the US. That was followed by many years in policymaking and political work in the EU and the U.K. government as well as running a property refurbishment company. These jobs gave me a range of organizational, managerial, and administrative skills as well as an interest in design and property management.
My exposure as a child to the teachings of Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi and serving as a trustee for a major Indian charity, Seva Mandir, and coming from a refugee family made me empathize with the suffering of the people of the Great Lakes. Setting up and running a multifaceted lodge and safari business in two post-conflict countries was far more complex than I had ever imagined and these different experiences and philosophies helped me deal with the challenges. I also realized it was important to make a big effort to recruit and mentor staff from the Great Lakes region as their commitment would be critical to our success. I have also been lucky to have had the support of an exceptional team of international advisers in hospitality, finance, and strategy that have ensured that we continually evolve.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
So many interesting and unusual things have happened to me since setting up Volcanoes Safaris. Possibly the most unexpected was to go gorilla tracking with President Museveni of Uganda in 1999 in Bwindi, accompanied by his personal waiter in a bow tie and waistcoat carrying his cool box of drinks.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
In 1997 I started building Mount Gahinga Lodge. I decided to build cabins, bandas as they are locally called, in the style of local mud huts. The mud in the mountain did not bind well so we had to transport clay soil from the valley below up the hill. The El Niño rains were so strong in those years that the track up the hill was washed away and the truck could not get up the mountain. The clay soil had to be dumped on the side of the road from where it started flowing down the hill. I suddenly understood the myth of Sisyphus.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
I have been very lucky to have had the support of many people around the world. When I was building Virunga Lodge after the conflict in Rwanda the support of the neighboring people was inspiring. In the US specifically, Shannon Stowell of the Adventure Travel Association has been a big support and mentor. The Volcanoes Advisory Board have been very generous in sharing
their strategic vision and experience through good times and bad. In the early history of the company Yusuf Mulima Mubiru, the General Manager was a wise counsel. In the last ten years Kevin James, our General Manager, has stepped up to take over the day-to-day operations of the company, which has been invaluable more than ever during the pandemic.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
All of us, especially privileged people, have a responsibility to look after the less well-off humans on the planet, the earth, the environment, the wilderness, and wildlife. We all need to reduce consumption, play our part in recycling, reduce pollution, and stop taking the Earth for granted.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
Gorilla and chimpanzee tourism is based on sensitive and controlled tourism. A small and limited number of tourists are allowed to visit the great apes for one hour a day, observing strict protocols to control their interaction with the animals so that they do not get stressed or get diseases. Limiting the number of tourists is important to help the gorillas to survive and not die. The restrictions on the number of tourists limits the growth of the business but it is the basis of
creating a sustainable business. Having an uncontrolled number of visitors every day would allow the business to have more clients but jeopardize its future survival. It’s a win-win model.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- That working in post-conflict countries is not like working in normal countries. This fact has required much greater investment in training over many years.
- Have a clear vision and goals; these can evolve and change but it’s important to have clear objectives. It took years after I founded Volcanoes Safaris, for our goals to be clarified and refined. After that, we were much more on a firmer track.
- Be patient: It can take several years to evolve the right model, products, and teams. For example, six years ago we decided to stop offering our tour operations services and focus solely on our four lodges. It made the company more manageable and more profitable with the same revenue.
- Build a team of workers, especially at the lowest level; encourage managers to engage and take responsibility. Often a humble worker has helped avert a crisis by his vigilance alone.
- Don’t forget money makes a business and a surplus funds the non-profit work that is so important. You need to make sure your finances are well run so that you have enough cash flow during difficult periods and working capital to grow. Don’t forget to deal with taxation and compliance. I was slow to realize this in the early years and ended up having a big tax bill which I had to sort out.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Essentially if your community, society, and country are stronger and you use this strength to share skills and resources with disadvantaged people, you are in essence improving your own prospects.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Gandhi said ‘You must not lose faith in humanity.’ Many times when the world seems to be selfish and inward-looking, I find these words are worth remembering.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂 –
I have had the privilege to be in the same room as Jane Goodall a few times and recently we developed a partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute in Uganda to support the lost chimpanzees of Kyambura. It would be wonderful to have the chance to talk to her one-on-one and learn about her deep inspiration around people, the planet, and its primates.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Praveen Moman of Volcanoes Safaris Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.