Olivier Nsengimana 2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise Laureate

Olivier Nsengimana

Rolex Award for Enterprise Laureate 

Encouraged by his 2014 Rolex Award for Enterprise, Olivier Nsengimana has galvanized his fellow Rwandans to revive the fortunes of their much-loved grey crowned crane. A symbol of long life and prosperity, which hotels and wealthy citizens used to adorn their gardens, the crane had become scarce due to poaching and farming encroaching on wetlands. But, thanks to a wildlife management project launched by the vet and conservationist, which includes a sanctuary and separate rewilding facility, hundreds of the cranes have been liberated and released, once again flourishing in their natural habitat. As a result, the Laureate’s work is becoming a symbol of renewal in much of Africa.