The Project
The Fallen Rangers project was launched to provide a financial safety net for widows and children of Virunga rangers killed in the line of duty. A ranger’s greatest fear is not losing his life, but the impact their death will have on family members left behind. Until the creation of Fallen Rangers Fund, widows received precious little or no financial support and their families invariably became severely impoverished and destitute. Clearly, allowing such a thing to happen is no way to pay back a family for years of dedicated service to Virunga National Park.
Emmanuel de Merode, Director of Virunga National Park, began the work of identifying all the widows of fallen rangers in 2007. Since that time, he and others on the Virunga team have managed to piece together the identities of 75% of the ranger widows dating back to 1991, when regional hostilities began. The process will continue until all are identified and screened for eligibility. As long as a widow has not remarried and her children are under the age of 18, they will be covered by the fund.
Phase 1
The first phase of the project is essentially financial triage: get $30.00 per month to qualifying families as soon as possible. When living in extreme poverty, every passing day deepens a family’s exposure to malnutrition, disease, and premature death. In this phase, we’re looking to Virunga’s global community to help with the task of supporting these families. I support a ranger family and I hope you’ll join me.
Phase 2
The goal of Phase 2 is to set up a permanent endowment for families of fallen rangers. Private donors and organizations, such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are helping set up the fund. This fund will eventually cover the base subsistence cost of a family, as well as provide an educational allowance for children and basic family medical coverage. The fund will exist outside the Democratic Republic of Congo and be managed by Virunga Fund in the U.S.A. This ensures that political turmoil and conflict will not be able to endanger the fund. We have a long way to go, so if you know of any person or organization that would be interested in supporting the fund, or if you have questions, please contact me at [email protected].
Project Leader
Hello, my name is Robert Williams. I became involved with Virunga National Park in August 2007, after reading the Newsweek cover article, “Slaughter in the Jungle”, about the Rugendo mountain gorilla family massacre. I literally had tears running down my face after reading the article and couldn’t comprehend how anyone could commit such an act − especially against such peaceful and trusting animals. This event was the catalyst for my involvement with the park. Since then, I have been involved with the alternative fuels program that is working to end habitat destruction caused by the illegal charcoal trade. I also write and manage grants for various programs within the park and work with our global team of supporters. I am based in the mountains of Colorado, but visit Virunga 2-3 times per year and am in daily contact with the field team. I am very excited to be heading up the Virunga Fallen Rangers Project. Rangers − and by extension their families − are the first line of defense for Virunga. Rangers take on incredible risks to protect this global treasure and I feel that it’s our responsibility to stand by their widows and children when they pay the ultimate price.
Mariam
Mariam Sulemani Sadiki
A woman dropped by the office last week to see me, saying that she had brought pictures of her husband, Assani Sebuyori, a ranger for Virunga National Park. In June, unknown assailants attacked a park vehicle coming south from Lulimbi and her husband died. Although I had not asked for the photos, I knew I might need them someday, so carried the folded sheet of paper holding the photos inside to the scanner in my office.
I ... Read more »
Valeri
“I thought he would be safe now.”
July 29th began as a normal day for Valeri Katungu as she went about her daily routine, taking care of her five youngest children. Her husband of 17 years, Michel, worked nearby at Virunga National Park’s prison where militia, poachers, and illegal charcoal producers are kept before transport to nearby Goma.
Around 2 pm, she received the news. FDLR militia opened fire on the Virunga vehicle transporting ... Read more »
Thank you, Happy Hollow Zoo!
RECENT DONATIONS
May
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22 May 2013
Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$30
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22 May 2013
Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$30
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18 May 2013
Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$30
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$30
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$45
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$30
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12 May 2013
2 x Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$60
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08 May 2013
2 x Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$60
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$15
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$65
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05 May 2013
Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$30
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03 May 2013
Widows and Rangers Fund
Unregistered Donor
$30
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$30
April
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$30
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26 Apr 2013
Monthly Support for Widows
Unregistered Donor
$30
This website was funded by the European Union and the Prince Bernard Nature Fund.
