About & impact

Why Red Rocks exists

Uganda's gorilla parks generate some of the highest per-visitor tourism revenue on the continent — Red Rocks makes sure more of it reaches the households who make the experience possible.

Our story

Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development was registered in Uganda in April 2025 as a company limited by guarantee, founded by Dr. Andrew G. Seguya and Irene Biraro-Seguya. It exists to close the gap between the tourism revenue the parks of the Greater Virunga Landscape generate and the households on the park boundary who absorb the daily cost of living beside that wildlife.

Our mission

Give tourists a simple, trustworthy way to pre-book their trek team, tip the people who guide and protect them, and buy from local artisans — with every payment routed directly to the individual who earned it, not pooled or delayed.

Illustrative planning estimates

Where we expect impact to grow

MetricYear 1Year 2Year 3
Trekkers reached~1,800~7,500~16,000
Guide / tracker / porter bookings1,2005,50012,000
Tips processed (avg. $25/trekker)$45,000$190,000$400,000
Marketplace GMV (crafts)$15,000$90,000$220,000
Roadmap

How we're rolling this out

Months 0–3

Community partnerships

Register porters and craft cooperatives in Buhoma; build the MVP.

Months 3–6

Public launch, Buhoma

Marketplace goes live; UWA API-partnership conversations begin.

Months 6–12

Bwindi + Mgahinga expansion

Remaining Bwindi sectors and Mgahinga go live; dance-troupe tipping added.

Year 2

Chimp parks & permit exchange

Kibale, Kyambura and Kalinzu launch; operator permit exchange goes live if the UWA MOU is signed.

Legal & governance

Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development is registered in Uganda under the Companies Act No. 1 of 2012 as a company limited by guarantee, not having share capital (registration no. G250403-0069, registered 9 April 2025). As a guarantee company, Red Rocks has no shareholders and does not issue equity; growth is funded through grants, donor capital, and program-related finance.