Voices of the Land
Beyond the Jack-of-all-Trades
Isa calls himself a jack-of-all-trades, but after hearing his stories and seeing his skills firsthand, it’s clear he’s a master of many things!
He manages a construction crew, leading a team of men who help build the infrastructure this community depends on. He’s an expert driver who navigated the winding, unpredictable roads of Rubuguri with calm precision, keeping me safe on every turn on terrain that would rattle most.
And he’s one of our most knowledgeable tour guides, a storyteller passionate about hiking and bird watching. He has an intimate understanding of the trails, wildlife, and the forest’s rhythms.
It was an honor to have met him, and I look forward to working with him on our future projects!
Isa
Builder, Storyteller, Sustainable Expert Tour Guide
But what makes Isa truly remarkable isn’t just what he does; it’s what he carries. His father managed a mining team in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When the forest was still contested ground, a place of labor and survival rather than protection and tourism. Through Isa, those stories live on: stories of a different era, a different relationship with the land, and the complex history that shaped this place long before the world knew its name.
Isa is a father of four, deeply rooted in his community, and someone who sees Bwindi not just as a destination but as home. When he guides, he doesn’t just point out birds or name trails. He connects you to the spirit of the place, its history, its present, and the people who have lived here for generations.
Traveling with Isa is to see Uganda through the eyes of someone who entirely belongs to it. And to realize that the best guides aren’t those who have studied a place from the outside, but those who have built their lives in it.
