LUWEERO —Aloesha Organic Natural Health Products Limited a provider of health services through the use of conserving centuries-old herbal medicines has unveiled a 49 Acre Ecotourism Centre located in Bombo – Kalule, Luwero district.
The move is aimed at boosting local tourism among other initiatives purposed at the Social –Economic development of the community where the site is located, and the country as a whole.
As defined by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Ecotourism is the responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment, sustain the well-being of the residents, and entails interpretation and education features of nature. Ecotourism involves activities such as bird watching, village/community walks, nature guided walks, forest walks, gorilla tracking, butterfly watching, mountain/hill climbing, nature photography, as well as other aspects related to natural, rural, and cultural tourism.
“We will be marking 10 years since the establishment of Aloesha Organic on 16th February 2022, and as part of the celebration, today we have officially opened our Ecotourism Centre to the public. In the same regard, we are delighted to have 20 of our students who underwent a 3 year course on specialized herbal medicine preparation and the entire value chain management at the Aloesha Organic Training Institute graduate, and I use the same opportunity to congratulate them upon this great accomplishment in their education journey.” revealed, Bugingo Don Patrick, Managing Director at Aloesha Organic Natural Health Products.
He added, “Ecotourism is a phenomenon that has become prevalent across the world and Uganda is no exception; Ecotourism is being endorsed as a way of addressing climate change, conservation of biodiversity, provision of employment, boosting the local tourism industry, among other advantages. The Uganda Tourism Board is currently running the ‘Uniquely Ours’ campaign to promote domestic tourism and it is well-timed that we enhance the efforts to add something onto the product catalogue of our country.”
The Aloesha Organic new eco-tourism center seats on about 49 acres of land. The hub is located in Bombo – Kalule, Luwero district. It comprises of a nursery establishment, ornamental compound, a medicinal tree forest and a training institute. The Aloesha Organic Training Institute was established in 2018 as a specialized herbal health institute of higher learning that focuses on intensive preparation and equipment of present day youths, practitioners, and people with disabilities with practical skills in the field of herbal medicine and related disciplines. The institute is recognized, licensed and supervised by the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) as an integrated skilling institute for formal and non-formal students.
“We commend Aloesha Organic for not only establishing an Ecotourism Centre, but going a notch higher to provide a training Institute where learners are able to attain employable skills that will boost the output of the quality of the service and products delivered on the market. Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) acknowledges such initiatives designed by partners like Aloesha aimed at enhancing economic activities, and we pledge our continued support as well as creating an enabling operating environment for them. “observed, John Kaddu, an evaluator at PSFU.
Sophie Balijuka, the Product Development Officer at Uganda Tourism Board mentioned that the recent opening of the economy and the different initiatives conducted by Uganda Tourism Board to promote local tourism makes the launch of the Aloesha Eco-Tourism Centre timely as this will not only increase the number of tourism sites that Ugandans and travelers from across the region and the globe can visit, but it will greatly contribute to income generating avenues for the country.
“For the Aloesha Organic Ecotourism Centre to thrive, it is key that the requisite skill sets and knowledge on conserving and maintaining the plants, and environment as a whole are passed on, and with the proficient training conducted at the Aloesha Organic Training Institute, I believe the investment is worthwhile and it will create a lot of opportunity for the learners as they will gain skills that see them have a competitive advantage on the job market.” Fagil Mady, an education and training consultant at Aloesha Organic Training Institute.
Bugingo further mentioned that, “At the moment, training at the institute is received at a cost so as to ensure sustainability and profitability. Touring the center is available at no cost on the day of the launch, though this will not be the case in the near future as it will require constant maintenance and hence a small fee will be charged so as to support the center’s sustainability, as well as promote local tourism industry. The entire public is warmly welcome.”
