On 20 June 2009, the most important public event in Rwanda's conservation circles was taking place in Kinigi, Musanze District (Formerly Ruhengeti) near the Volcanoes National Park - Kwita Izina. Kwita Izina is the annual gorilla naming ceremony modelled around human child-naming ceremonies practiced by the Rwandan communities. Each year, all gorilla babies born in the past 12 months are given names in the same fashion as human children.
What better way to celebrate a naming ceremony than to have children perform? It was therefore quite natural that children from rural Rwanda, particularly the children from the Art of Conservation programme, who for some years now have been learning and teaching about gorilla conservation through various art forms - including music - should be invited to be among the entertainment for this great day.
The Art of Conservation (AoC) group, consisting of 150 children had been preparing for this great calling and were ready to perform and educate like they have been doing. Come D-Day however, the entertainment programme was shortened and several community groups, including the AoC group did not perform. This did not dampen their spirits since the previous evening, in the pre-ceremony party, 'Igitaramo' they had performed their 'Mu Birunga' song and thrilled their audience. 'Mu Birunga' translates to 'In Virunga' in reference to the home of the mountain gorilla.
During the Kwita Izina, 18 new mountain gorilla babies were given names in a ceremony that was attended by Rwandan Prime Minister, Bernard Makuza, as the guest of honour. Several other important guests included renowned American zoo keeper Jack Hanna and South African musician Chris Chameleon who, apart from having the honour of naming one of the gorillas, also sang a song in his native tongue, Afrikaans.
The children from the AoC group had their fun as they enjoyed the ceremony, learning from their elders, and gaining more knowledge to share with their peers and community when they got home.
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