Kihingami Vocational Eco-Tourism Training Institute is named after the Kihingami Wetland Eco-Tourism Association which was established in the year 2000 to protect the Kihingami Wetlands from further threatening by tea developers and the rapid growing population. Upon establishment of Kihingami Eco-Tourism Association Constitution and approval by C.O.B. Busoro Sub-Country, the site started to operate concentrating on tourism activities and train people who would guide the tourists in the Rwenzori region and the entire country.
KVETTI students on a field trip to the Rift Valley
Kihingami Vocational Eco-Tourism Training Institute (short KVETTI) courses are developed through a process of continuous research and extensive consultations with academic and tourism industry experts. The mission is to provide quality and practical training for students who want to be employed in the tourism industry. Students are taught in the importance of nature and wildlife protection. Through field visits the students experience what they have learned in theoretical lessons. Furthermore, all of the students participate in language lessons like French, Kiswahili and German. Since there are many institutes this one is unique because it especially considers the practical part of education. Field visits, a trip to one of the National Parks and internships during the two-year-lasting training are a usual part of the program.
Currently the institute is part of two significantly projects. One of it is the German volunteer program called “weltwärts”. This year the Kihingami Vocational Eco-Tourism Training Institute has received their first volunteer, who is teaching the students in German and marketing the institute and the Kihingami Wetlands next to the institute.
KVETTI students with German volunteer and teacher Sophie
The other project KVETTI is part of is called “Green College Initiative” supported by the German organisation Welthungerhilfe and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented with JESE, SATNET and KIIMA FOODS. The aim of this project is to use the existing potential in the Rwenzori region, to strength the capacities of civil society organisations and social enterprises as training centers in the field of green skilling, to network with each other and to realise an increased participation of young people in ecologically and economically sustainable sectors. Kihingami Vocational Eco-Tourism Training Institute was chosen to be one of the training centers in the field of green skilling to train Green College students in tour guiding and to give them a good chance of getting employed or employ themselves in this sector.
KVETTI Graduation Ceremony
Until now there have been 975 students trained and most of them are employed so far with no regrets. KVETTI is cooperating with Kabarole Tours since the establishment of the institute as well. Because of that most of our well-trained tour guides are former students of the Kihingami Vocational Eco-Tourism Training Institute.