Rwandan actress and activist Rosine Bazongere is about to steer a long-distance stroll from Kigali to Musanze to advertise conservation, tourism and wellness as a part of an consciousness marketing campaign forward of the annual Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony.
The 2-day stroll, protecting about 100 kilometres, will start in Kigali on September 2 and finish in Musanze on September 3, a day earlier than Kwita Izina on September 4.
The initiative is being held below the slogan “Stroll for the Wild”, with the message “Shield their dwelling, defend our future.”
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Bazongere, who’s organising the initiative, mentioned the stroll is meant to encourage individuals to discover Rwanda whereas additionally selling conservation and wholesome life.
“It's consciousness of conservation, tourism, wellness, all that collectively,” she mentioned.
The stroll will begin in Kigali, with members spending the primary night time in Nyirangarama, about 45 to 50 kilometres from the capital. The second day will cowl the remaining distance from Nyirangarama to Musanze.
Whereas the gap from Kigali to Musanze is about 100 kilometres, the route from Kigali to Kinigi is roughly 116 kilometres.
Bazongere mentioned members wouldn’t have to finish all the journey to participate. They’ll be part of for 5 kilometres, a full day and even half a day, so long as they assist the conservation message.
She additionally inspired people and establishments to assist the initiative, saying conservation needs to be considered a shared duty.
“Let's all know that conservation is our duty,” she mentioned.
The stroll is open to anybody who needs to take part, together with group members, influencers and authorities officers.
“That is consciousness for all of us Rwandans. So, it's not for me, it's not for anybody else,” she mentioned.
Members will usually be answerable for their very own wants, though organisers are nonetheless searching for companions to offer requirements corresponding to water, snacks and lodging.
A sponsor has already supplied T-shirts, caps and flags, which Bazongere mentioned would symbolise unity amongst individuals supporting the identical trigger.
A hospital can also be supporting the initiative as a well being and wellness accomplice. Its docs and nurses shall be out there to offer first support and attend to members who could expertise well being issues alongside the route.
The organisers have deliberate a number of stopovers the place members can drink water, eat, stretch and relaxation earlier than persevering with the journey.
The stopovers may even present alternatives for presidency officers and different members to interact communities alongside the route and share messages about conservation.
Nonetheless, Bazongere famous that the two-day journey would depart restricted time for devoted tourism actions alongside the route.
Constructing on earlier walks
The initiative builds on Bazongere's earlier long-distance walks, which she has used to lift consciousness about varied social and well being points.
Her curiosity in long-distance strolling grew from an initiative known as “Strolling for a Wholesome Physique and Thoughts”, by which she promotes strolling as a easy exercise that may profit each bodily and psychological well-being.
Her first long-distance stroll was held in October 2024 as a part of Kwita Izina. She coated 116 kilometres, describing the journey as each a private problem and a check to find out whether or not she might undertake long-distance walks.
In March 2025, she walked 150 kilometres from Kigali to Rubavu to lift consciousness about bodily exercise and psychological well being.
On Might 3 and 4, 2025, she undertook a 24-hour continuous stroll as a part of a most cancers consciousness and fundraising marketing campaign geared toward supporting individuals who can’t afford most cancers therapy.
Her most up-to-date stroll, in February 2026, took her from Kigali to Nyagatare, protecting about 160 kilometres. The marketing campaign centered on teenage women, undesirable pregnancies and menstrual well being, whereas additionally elevating funds to offer sanitary pads to ladies in want.
Bazongere mentioned the Nyagatare stroll had a major affect as a result of it helped unfold the message that defending younger women, supporting their schooling and safeguarding their future is a shared duty. She mentioned this duty extends to everybody, together with dad and mom, neighbours and the broader group, significantly in the case of stopping undesirable pregnancies.
The stroll additionally gave her a possibility to work together with younger individuals alongside the route, have interaction with authorities leaders and attain schoolgirls, together with college students at GS Nyagatare Secondary Faculty. Journalists and influencers additionally supported the marketing campaign by serving to amplify its message on social media.
ALSO READ: Actress Bazongere walks 160 kilometers to lift consciousness about menstrual well being
Bazongere mentioned the marketing campaign’s best affect was not the gap coated however the message behind the stroll and the sense of duty it inspired amongst communities. Nonetheless, she acknowledged that the marketing campaign didn’t increase as a lot cash as anticipated or attain as many women as initially meant.
She mentioned contributions from people, each monetary and in different types of assist, enabled the marketing campaign to offer sanitary pads to round 400 women. She added that one other consciousness marketing campaign specializing in the identical points is deliberate for February subsequent yr. This time, she plans to interact NGOs and bigger establishments to safe better assist and attain extra women with sanitary merchandise.
The upcoming stroll to Kwita Izina will start at 6 a.m. in Kigali, with the precise beginning location to be communicated later. Individuals focused on becoming a member of the stroll shall be required to register by a kind that shall be shared on the organiser’s social media platforms.
