A local project in the heart of Buhoma, Uganda which economically and socially empowers local women in the closest communities surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Located in Buhoma, Uganda, Ride 4 A Woman is a grassroots, non-profit organization in Buhoma, Uganda. There are currently 300 participants learning income-generating skills at the Bwindi Women's Community Centre. Visitors are welcome to come and see the work they are doing to change lives.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in the south west of Uganda, is home to the endangered mountain gorilla. A large community of local people inhabits the edge of the national park in a village called Buhoma. The women of this community form the cornerstone of their families; raising the children, working the land, tending to their animals and performing many other daily tasks that fill their days from sun up to sun down. Since these women are so busy trying to make ends meet, they do not have the opportunity to learn new skills, develop a career, or earn money. Often, the women will explain how they feel undervalued and disempowered.
To help these women, Habasa Evelyne and her husband Rubalema Denis formed Ride 4 A Woman in 2009. The program started by renting bicycles to tourists with the hope of generating money to start a job-training program for the women. As time went on, there became a need for bike maintenance so Evelyne and Denis started training local women to do the repairs. The program expanded beyond bicycle renting and mechanics when a group of Australian tourists met Evelyne and offered to help her start a sewing program. This led to the need of a community building for the programs to take place, which was completed in 2012 and is called the Bwindi Women's Community Centre. Today, Ride 4 A Woman strives to empower many local women by providing them with training in local crafts, textiles, bicycle repair and English instruction.