Quick Facts
- Age:
- Early twenties
- Role:
- Trainee tour guide at Gorilla Bluff Lodge
- Location:
- Buhoma, near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Training:
- Wildlife guiding and hospitality
- Specialty:
- Bird identification and gorilla trekking logistics
- Dream:
- To own a tour company employing local people
“I want to have a tour company of my own, where I can employ different people from different places, according to their needs.”
The Story of Prosper
Prosper grew up in the Buhoma area, in a family that farmed the steep hillsides above the village. He watched tourists arrive for gorilla trekking from the time he was a boy — Land Cruisers on the red dirt road, backpacks and binoculars, languages he did not understand. He knew early on that tourism was the best chance this village had, and that he wanted to be part of it.
After finishing school, Prosper trained as a tour guide. It was not easy — the courses cost money his family did not have, and the competition for positions was fierce. But Prosper was persistent. He studied wildlife identification, learned the names of birds and trees in English and Latin, and practiced his guiding skills on anyone who would listen.
His break came when Gorilla Bluff Lodge offered him an internship. It was unpaid at first, but it put him inside the industry. He learned how lodges operate — the logistics of gorilla trekking permits, the coordination with UWA rangers, the expectations of international guests. He watched, listened, and absorbed everything.
Today Prosper works at the lodge as a trainee, assisting with guest arrivals, trekking preparations, and nature walks. He is well-liked by visitors who appreciate his genuine enthusiasm and deep knowledge of the area. But he knows that an internship is not a career, and the gap between where he is and where he wants to be is still wide.
A Day in the Life of Prosper
Prosper arrives at Gorilla Bluff Lodge before the guests are awake, usually by 6:30 AM. He checks with the kitchen to confirm breakfast timing, reviews the day's guest schedule, and makes sure the trekking equipment — walking sticks, rain ponchos, packed lunches — is ready.
When guests come down for breakfast, Prosper is there to greet them. He explains the gorilla trekking process, answers questions about what to expect in the forest, and helps coordinate transport to the UWA briefing point. For many visitors, Prosper is the first Ugandan they have a real conversation with, and he takes that seriously.
Once the trekking groups depart, the lodge quiets down. Prosper uses this time to study — reading wildlife guides, practicing bird calls, and reviewing feedback from previous guest interactions. He keeps a notebook where he writes down every species he identifies and every question a tourist has asked that he could not immediately answer.
In the afternoon, guests return from the forest, often overwhelmed by the experience of seeing mountain gorillas up close. Prosper listens to their stories, helps with photography questions, and sometimes leads a short nature walk around the lodge grounds, pointing out chameleons, birds, and medicinal plants.
By late afternoon, Prosper helps prepare for the evening — setting up the lounge area, briefing new arrivals, and coordinating with the kitchen for dinner service. He usually leaves the lodge around 6:00 PM, walking home along the forest road as the sun drops behind the hills.
Dreams and Future
Prosper wants to own a tour company. Not a small side operation, but a real company that employs people from Buhoma and the surrounding villages. He talks about it with the specificity of someone who has been planning it for years — the vehicles he would need, the routes he would offer, the partnerships with lodges and parks across Uganda.
Beyond the business, Prosper dreams of creating opportunities for other young people in Buhoma who, like him, grew up watching tourism from the outside. He wants to build a training program, hire locally, and prove that a company rooted in a village can compete with the agencies in Kampala and Entebbe.
He also dreams of better roads around Buhoma. It is a practical dream — bad roads cost the village tourists, because some visitors choose more accessible destinations. Prosper sees infrastructure as the key to unlocking everything else: more visitors, more jobs, more reasons for young people to stay instead of leaving for the city.
Listen to Prosper's Voice Notes
Prosper also shares regular WhatsApp voice notes about daily life in Buhoma — unscripted, unedited, in their own words. Hear what is really happening in the village this week.
Prosper's Voice NotesFrequently Asked Questions
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Last updated: July 2026