Iby'Iwacu Cultural Village, near the park headquarters at Kinigi, was established with support from the Rwanda Development Board as part of an effort to provide economic opportunities for former poachers in the communities bordering Volcanoes National Park. The programme offers a cultural experience that includes traditional music and dance, demonstrations of traditional crafts and practices, and the chance to meet former poachers who have transitioned to tourism employment.
The visit is explicitly framed around the conservation story — participants are former poachers, and their accounts of why they poached and why they stopped are part of the experience. The cultural performances (drum dancing, traditional storytelling, and craft demonstrations) are enthusiastically delivered and the programme's commitment to connecting conservation with community benefit is genuine. It is worth combining with the gorilla or golden monkey trekking, as the village is just a few kilometres from the park headquarters, and the combination of wildlife encounter and community visit gives a more complete picture of the area than either alone.