Most travel websites tell you about Buhoma from the outside. What the lodges are like. How the gorilla trekking works. What to pack.
This page is different. Here, the people who actually live in Buhoma share what their daily life looks like — fuel prices, school fees, tourism seasons, road conditions, lodge work, and the quiet rhythms of a village that exists far from the reach of headlines.
Meet the Voices
Norman
BodaBoda Driver
Norman is 26 years old and has been riding BodaBoda in and around Buhoma for years. He knows every road, every shortcut, and every pothole between the village and Butogota. He transports tourists to their lodges, delivers goods from the trading center, and sometimes rushes a sick neighbor to the nearest clinic. Norman is married and has a child with a disability — which makes a stable income all the more important for his family. When he is not on his motorcycle, he is fixing it.
Emily
Shop Owner
Emily runs a small general store near the main road in Buhoma. She sells everything from soap and sugar to phone credit and exercise books. Her shop is one of the few places in the village where you can buy basic supplies without traveling to Butogota. She opened the shop five years ago with savings from selling crops and has slowly expanded it since. Emily is married — her husband works in Kampala — and she supports a young girl whom she cares for like her own daughter.
Prosper
Trainee Tour Guide
Prosper is in his early twenties and has just completed his training as a tour guide. He works as an intern at Gorilla Bluff Lodge in Buhoma, where he greets guests, assists with gorilla trekking logistics, and learns the hospitality business from the ground up. His dream is to become a professional safari tour guide — leading visitors through Uganda's national parks and sharing the wildlife and culture of his country with people from around the world.
What's New in Buhoma?
No customers this week — tourism is slow
Norman describes a difficult week with almost no BodaBoda customers. He talks about how Buhoma depends on tourism and his dream of becoming a tour guide.
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“Hey, I am Norman, the BodaBoda driver in Bwindi, Buhoma. I have spent a week riding but no customer is there, because now we have got a problem. There has been a disease outbreak and we as people here in Bwindi, Buhoma, we survive on tourism. And we have got a problem here. Tourists are few because of the Ebola scare, and as me, Norman, that was the reason why I joined BodaBoda. I am hustling to get a good life and if I get the chance I want to advance. I am from BodaBoda but I also want to join tourism, to become like a tour guide. And I would like support to start with because I have no support at all.”
Transcribed from a WhatsApp voice note.
My business and what I can share with you
Emily introduces herself and explains what kind of updates she can provide — from good sales weeks to the challenges of selling perishable goods in a small village.
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“Hello Mark, thank you for your idea and for including me in the Voices of Buhoma section on your website. I appreciate the opportunity and I am interested in testing it. I would like to share a little about my work so you understand the kind of updates I can provide. I run my business and my work can be very different from week to week. Some weeks I sell many products, while other weeks are slower. Since I mainly deal with fresh vegetables and other perishable foods, there are many challenges involved. If products are not sold quickly, they can rot or become damaged, which can lead to losses. Because of this, not every week is the same. Sometimes I have positive stories about good sales, customer experiences, and business growth. Other times I may talk about challenges such as products going bad, market conditions, supply issues, or lessons learned from running the business. Thank you so much for your support.”
Transcribed from a WhatsApp voice note.
My dreams for the future in tourism
Prosper shares his vision for the future — building a tour company, creating jobs, and helping vulnerable people in his community through tourism.
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“About my dreams — as I told you, I want to become successful in tourism through very many different ways. Guiding and other tourism-related sectors. One of my core dreams is to one day find myself having a very big organization, a tour company, or any organization in tourism that helps other people who are in need. Another thing related to that is, one day, if everything comes together, I want to have a very good polished road around Buhoma, so that it can generate many opportunities for people who are in need, or those who are vulnerable. That is one of my best dreams. And then another thing is a company of my own — a tourist company — where I can employ different people from different places, according to their needs or specialties. Those are among my dreams for the future. The high season is coming in now, so maybe I get some good safaris, and I see how my experience will be increasing in tourism and in guiding.”
Transcribed from a WhatsApp voice note.
How Voices of Buhoma Works
- 1.People in Buhoma send short WhatsApp voice messages about their daily life
- 2.We transcribe the messages and publish them here with their permission
- 3.Nothing is scripted, edited, or written for marketing purposes
- 4.New entries are added as they come in — real life does not follow a schedule
Explore More of Buhoma
The voices on this page talk about gorilla trekking, tourism seasons, school fees, and road conditions. If any of these topics spark your interest, explore further:
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: July 2026