Our Story

Galiwango's story begins deep in the thick tropical forests that hug the imposing Virunga Mountains. I trace Galiwango's journey as a captured baby mountain Gorilla who is taken away from Uganda and illegally sold to a research facility in an undisclosed western country. As part of an illegal animal trafficking network, a group of scientists train Galiwango how to use technology with the intent of profiting from the success of the project.

Years later, Galiwango's journey comes full circle to Uganda via an unfortunate or fortunate event. A transport plane carrying technical equipment and a crate housing Galiwango, is shot down by a remant rebel group as it flies over the virunga mountains enroute to another research laboratory. It's at the transport plane crash site that Galiwango encounters two other Gorillas, Muwanguzi, an aging but wise Silver Back Gorilla, and an escaped young Gorilla called Lutalo, who carrys a rifle that got stuck on him when he escaped from a gang of poachers.

Mountain Gorillas are intensely family oriented creatures and that fact is evident in the interaction between Muwanguzi and Galiwango. Muwanguzi tries to fill the role of an optimistic father figure for the orphaned Galiwango and Lutalo plays the role of a rather skeptical and contentious friend.

The rest of the story explores the dangers of living in a forest that is rife with conflict and greed. Close encounters with poachers and rebel remnants drive the constant need by Galiwango and his friends to be alert and staying on the run as they struggle to stay alive.

Galiwango and his friends witness the deforestation of a habitat they hold dear and call home. 

I wrap up the film by showing the advances that have been made in the effort to conserve the mountain gorillas, the hard work done by the Park Rangers, and dynamics of the communities as they learn to live alongside the mountain gorillas, and the challenges faced by the 3 frontline States, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, in the joint effort to maintain peace in the Virunga region.

You can read more about the film production here: http://www.galiwango.com/

The Impact ~ Wildlife Conservation Campaign

The Goal of this Film is to reach out to the Youth, to sensitize them to the plight of the last remaining 786 mountain gorillas, as well as the hard work done by the rangers as they go about protecting these endangered wildlife treasures from poachers, the occasional rebel remnant groups and the inadvertent traps. I am also striving to shine a light to the impact of the deforestation of the Virunga and Bwindi jungles for the illegal charcoal trade, on local communities like the Batwa and the wildlife.

http://www.galiwango.com/2010/02/08/solomon-jagwes-gorilla-tracking-in-bwindi/

What We Need & What You Get

Help in the creation of this 30 minute Pilot, that can be used in Schools as a Wildlife Education Film and a vehicle to source for funding for a full feature Film that can be shown to a wider audience in theaters and online.

You will get a DVD of the Completed Film, with behind the scenes footage and a documentary about the life of Park Rangers. You will also get copies of the First and Second Edition of the Galiwango "Kasobeza" Comic Book

http://www.sowl.com/2010/08/galiwango-comic-book-kasobeza-available-for-purchase/

Other Ways You Can Help

Kindly share this campaign with your friends, and invite as many as you can to join us on the Galiwango Film Website, http://www.galiwango.com

Join other fellow consevationists in the effort to raise money to support the rangers through this Cause Group: http://widgets.causes.com/causes/254468-to-preserve-and-protect-the-world-s-last-remaining-mountain-gorillas-in-uganda-drc-and-rwanda