Ian Reid‘s new book puts the spotlight on the Ugandan communities at the heart of saving the mountain gorillas.
Dr Samson Weikhe, Director of Programmes at The Gorilla Organization, explains the story of the repentant poachers featured in Positive Tracks: ‘These are men who spent most of their time in the forest poaching animals. They had to change their way of life and switch from poaching to farming. We set about educating them, building their capacity and providing them with tools.
The book also features Young Simba FC, a local football club that is changing the lives of young people.
Sam Mugisha fled Rwanda in the 1990s when he was just 8 years old. Sam tells Positive Tracks how training with the club for 20 years changed his life. Sam eventually found a sports sponsor who enabled him to complete his schooling and even go to university. Sam has continued this legacy by founding Running With Sam.
The images in Positive Tracks are a testament to the power of sport to transform communities around the world.
Positive Tracks will be published in April 2025 by That Gorilla Brand, with funds donated for each sale.
British couple Leo and Casey Gripari set up That Gorilla Brand to support the vital work undertaken by The Gorilla Organization. That Gorilla Brand is the second largest donor to The Gorilla Organization after the European Union.
That Gorilla Brand now has its own community projects in Bwindi, which strive to ensure human rights, dignity and opportunity for the human communities surrounding the endangered mountain gorillas. They are bringing sanitation and clean water to thousands of people around Bwindi and, in 2025, rebuilding a local school close to the mountain gorillas’ habitat to open up opportunities for the community.
Internationally exhibited photographer Ian Reid creates work that embodies the convergence of reality and imagination, inviting viewers to explore the hidden histories of his captivating subjects. Reid’s work has been exhibited at the Museum of the City of New York, and his photobooks are held in the collections of libraries around the world, including the Library of Congress, Brooklyn Public Library, Harvard University Library, New York Public Library, Princeton University Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Library and the Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden.
Ian Reid is a multi-faceted artist, born and raised in the vibrant cultural centre of Brooklyn, New York. With an unwavering passion for skateboarding and photography, he has transcended the boundaries of visual art and storytelling. His artwork is part of permanent institutional and private collections around the world. .
Positive Tracks is available to pre-order from That Gorilla Brand at www.thatgorillabrand.com. Images by Ian Reid. Accompanying text by Kathy Chan.
Proceeds go to The Gorilla Organisation.
www.thatgorillabrand.com | @ianreidianreid
