ABSTRACT
After the research and development successes of the first year, the committee decided that it must solidify its status as a non-profit organization or obtain a business license to conduct business. The latter choice meant a liability for taxes in a venture that generated little income, so the NGO pathway appeared more attractive. The assistance of a solicitor was arranged, a constitution drafted with my help, and an application made to the national authorities for approval. Some months later, the committee received its certificate designating it as the Katuruka Preservation and Conservation Association. Though this did not change the direction or ideology of the Katuruka initiative, it did allow it to cast its net wider to include other communities in Kagera Region in its heritage protection and development programs, a development that was to prove important in regards to other nearby heritage sites (Chapters 17–19). With the formality of NGO status, the committee was required to make annual reports, conduct regular business meetings, keep public minutes, and hold annual elections. These requirements introduced more discipline to meetings, now held on a quarterly basis, and provided a template by which business could be conducted. This was positive and led to an enhanced sense of purpose and direction.
