Travel websites usually tell you what to do in a place. Where to sleep, what to eat, which trail to take. This page is different. Here you meet the people who make Buhoma what it is — the ones who stay after the tourists leave.
Each profile tells a full story: where they come from, what a typical day looks like, and what they hope for. Some of these people also share regular voice notes on our Voices of Buhoma page. But here, you get the whole picture.
Meet the People
Norman
Age 26BodaBoda Driver
The man who knows every road in Buhoma
“I am hustling to get a good life, and if I get the chance, I want to advance.”
Emily
Age mid-thirtiesShop Owner
The woman who keeps Buhoma supplied
“Not every week is the same. Sometimes I have good sales. Other times I watch my vegetables rot and count the loss.”
Prosper
Age early twentiesTrainee Tour Guide
The young man building a future in tourism
“I want to have a tour company of my own, where I can employ different people from different places, according to their needs.”
Nicolus
Age late twentiesHopeKitchen and Orphanage Manager
The man who feeds the children of Buhoma
“Someone has to be here every morning. The children do not wait for funding proposals. They wait for breakfast.”
Duncan
Age early thirtiesSafari Company Founder
From porter to founder — building safaris from Buhoma
“Tourism should benefit the people who live closest to the wildlife. That is why I built this company here, not in Kampala.”
Why We Tell These Stories
Buhoma is a village of about 5,000 people. It sits at the edge of one of the most biodiverse forests on earth, and it depends almost entirely on gorilla tourism for its economy. When tourists come, the village breathes. When they do not, it holds its breath.
The people on this page are not extraordinary in the way that word is usually used. They are ordinary people doing ordinary things — driving motorcycles, running shops, cooking meals, guiding tourists. What makes them worth knowing is that they do all of this in a place where nothing is easy and everything matters.
We tell their stories because understanding a destination means knowing the people who live there. Not as curiosities or charity cases, but as neighbors — people with histories, routines, and ambitions. If you visit Buhoma, you will walk their roads, eat their food, and depend on their knowledge. These profiles help you arrive already knowing who you are meeting.
Explore More of Buhoma
The people on this page talk about gorilla trekking, tourism, community projects, and daily life. If their stories spark your interest, explore further:
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: July 2026