Ride 4 A Woman – Uganda

Introduction

If you’re planning a trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for gorilla trekking, there’s a place that turns a good safari into something far more meaningful. Situated in the park’s Buhoma sector, right on the doorstep of the dense forest, Ride 4 A Woman is not just another stop; it’s a women-led community centre where tourism directly impacts real change for local families.

Ride 4 A Woman – Uganda is community tourism done right — practical, welcoming, and rooted in daily life. And for many travellers, it's a chance to connect with the women of Bwindi and give back to the community.

About Ride 4 A Woman

Ride 4 A Woman started in 2009 in Buhoma, the main gateway to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The charity was founded by Evelyne Habasa and her husband Denis Rubalema. Evelyne was raised by a mother who brought up eight children with almost nothing. That humble background became the quiet force behind everything Ride 4 A Woman stands for.

The program began simply: renting bicycles to tourists who wanted to ride around the area. The money went straight to supporting local women facing poverty, HIV, domestic violence, single motherhood, widowhood, or lack of education. The name “Ride 4 A Woman” came from that first idea — ride to support the women.

In 2012, with help from an Australian visitor named Patricia and her friends, the first group of 16 women learned to sew and weave. They then trained others using a “train the trainer” approach. Today it supports around 300 women from 11 surrounding villages. About 60 women work at the centre every day, earning a wage, receiving a meal, and finding a safe, supportive space. The organisation also runs microfinance, children’s education sponsorship, safe water, solar lighting (“Light a Home”), agriculture support, a goat-keeping programme, and home construction.

• Background

Why it Works as Community Tourism?

Everything at Ride 4 A Woman is practical and transparent. Tourism income collected from accommodation, meals, activities, and the craft shop directly funds the women’s salaries and community projects. Moreover, visitors also get to participate in various experiences and activities, learn skills, share meals, and interact with the local women. It feels like stepping into everyday life rather than a staged cultural show.

Community Projects Run by Ride 4 A Woman

More than 100 women in Bwindi have been trained in sewing and weaving. Around 70 work daily at the centre, making the handmade products sold in the craft shop. The rest manage their own businesses. Women earn a regular salary, receive meals, and find a safe, supportive space.

More than 270 children from families who cannot afford school currently receive support covering school fees, materials, daily meals, and medical help when needed. Sponsors get regular updates on their progress.

It also offers low-interest loans to help women turn ideas into businesses. Over 200 women are running ventures such as second-hand clothing shops, restaurants, tailoring, money transfer services, market stalls, and brick-making.

Ride 4 A Woman offers over six bio-sand filters and one electric filter, supplying more than 150 litres of clean drinking water every day. Community members can fill jerry cans to take home, and water-borne diseases are no longer a major problem in the area.

Since 2023, solar panels have been installed in more than 60 homes that previously had no electricity. Families have moved from smoky paraffin lamps to clean lighting, phone charging, and safer evenings for children’s homework.

Twice a year, before the rainy seasons, women receive seeds, tools, and training to grow their own food. Each participant then trains another woman in her village. Over 120 women have already taken part in the project.

Started after COVID in 2022, this project gives families a goat as a form of emergency savings. The goat can be sold if needed and also provides natural fertiliser. More than 120 families have benefited.

The programme constructs or repairs solid brick-and-cement houses for families living in unsafe mud and straw structures. It began with the women themselves saving to help one of their members. Three houses have been completed since early 2024.

This is so far the organisation’s biggest dream. Land has already been secured for an inclusive primary school that will welcome children with disabilities and focus on practical skills, environmental care, digital literacy, and joyful learning. Architectural plans and budgets are underway, with fundraising the next step.

These projects address poverty, gender equality, education, clean water, clean energy, food security, and housing in practical, measurable ways.

• Employing women
• Children sponsorship
• Microfinance
• Clean water
• Light a Home
• Seeds of Grace (Agriculture)
• Goats programme
• Building homes
• Primary school project (Horeb Primary School)

Traveller Experiences Offered by Ride 4 A Woman

Visitors can take part in hands-on activities that form part of daily life at the centre. Most last 1 – 2 hours and can be adjusted to fit around gorilla trekking. Activities can be booked in advance or arranged on arrival.

These experiences are flexible. A short visit might focus on crafts and the shop, while a longer afternoon can combine cooking, dance, and a home visit. All proceeds go straight back into the projects that support the women and their families.

• Traditional cooking — Wander the gardens, pick vegetables and herbs, then cook Bakiga dishes with the women. Learn to prepare kalo bread (from local millet), groundnut (G-nut) sauce, matoke (green bananas), roasted or boiled goat, Irish potatoes, and the local drink obushera. The experience ends with a shared meal in the dining room.
• Pedal sewing — Learn to use traditional treadle sewing machines with the women. Create your own item from African fabrics. Options include a coin purse, pillowcase, bandana, sunglasses case, napkins, or even a simple dress, and you can take it home. Enjoy some tea or coffee with homemade doughnuts and cinnamon bread.
• Basket weaving — Sit on mats in the gardens and learn to weave baskets from grass collected in the hills of Bwindi. Create your own souvenir while chatting with the local women. Includes a tea/coffee break with homemade treats.
• Bakiga dance — Join the women in a traditional Bakiga celebratory dance (known for its energetic stamping). You’ll also get to wear traditional dress and learn the steps and songs. The R4W dance group also performs at the gorilla trekking area on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Highly recommended, especially combined with cooking. Also includes a tea/coffee break.
• Biking community tour — Cycle through Buhoma and nearby villages with a local guide (helmet provided). Enjoy the scenery, people, and everyday life. You can also ride independently. This activity links directly to the organisation’s beginnings. Includes a tea/coffee break at the end.
• Visiting a woman’s home — Visit one or two homes of Ride 4 A Woman members by car or on foot. Meet the families and neighbours, learn about real daily life, and experience Ugandan hospitality. Always accompanied by an English-speaking staff guide. Includes a tea/coffee break at the end.

Ride 4 A Woman – Accommodation and Homestays

Ride 4 A Woman also offers budget accommodation to travellers visiting Bwindi for gorilla trekking in a strategically located guest house. The guesthouse sits in the heart of Buhoma, roughly 1km from the main gorilla trekking briefing point. You arrive to a warm welcome, often with hot towels and fresh passion juice.

The rooms are simple, clean, and comfortable, with a focus on authenticity and connection rather than luxury. The guesthouse also offers a restaurant that serves home-cooked Ugandan and international dishes (vegetarian options available), a bar and lounge area for relaxing after a trek. Wi-Fi is available in common areas, while camping options exist for travellers on a tighter budget.

When you stay here, your payment contributes directly to the projects listed above. It is one of the most direct ways to make your gorilla trek benefit the people who live beside the forest.

Where is Ride 4 A Woman located?

In Buhoma, the main gateway sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda. It is about 1 km from the gorilla trekking briefing point.

Do I need to book activities in advance?

You can contact them ahead of time or arrange activities once you arrive. They are flexible and will adjust times to fit your schedule.

How long do the activities take? Most last 1 – 2 hours. The home visit can take 1 – 3 hours. Everything can be tailored to suit your itinerary.

Is the accommodation suitable for gorilla trekkers?

Yes. Its location makes it ideal — close enough to walk or take a short transfer to the briefing point, yet immersed in the local community.

Where does the money from my stay or activities go?

Directly into the organisation’s projects: women’s employment and training, microfinance, children’s education, safe water, solar lighting, agriculture support, goats, house building, and the planned primary school.

Can I just visit for a short time or shop without doing an activity?

Yes. You are welcome to drop by, meet the members, buy handmade products from the craft shop, or simply see the centre in action.

Is it suitable for families or children?

Many of the activities (cooking, weaving, dance) work well for families. The home visit and biking tour can also be adjusted.

How does Ride 4 A Woman support conservation?

By creating sustainable income for the communities living next to Bwindi, the organisation helps reduce pressure on the forest and supports the idea that protecting gorillas and protecting people go hand in hand.

Can I donate or sponsor a child if I’m not visiting?

Yes. Sponsorship and project donations are possible through the organisation’s website. Sponsors receive regular updates.

What is the best time to visit the centre while on a gorilla safari?

Many travellers visit the afternoon after trekking or on arrival day. Activities can be planned around your permit and physical fitness.