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GEP has promoted community based tourism and eco-tourism for the past 10 years. Rural communities surrounding the Mafuga Forest Reserve are known for their diverse Kikiga culture and their many natural resources such as diverse tree and bird species, water sources, hot springs and natural shelter belts. GEP operates both community-based tourism and eco-tourism.

GEP provides for both long and short term volunteers and shorter stay adventurers and tourists. GEP's facilities accommodate up to 25 people and have the capability to organise gorilla tours in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Tree planting was the main activity GEP promoted with communities living in and surrounding the Mafuga Forest Reserve. Planting trees has many benefits addressing both local environmental issues and the international problem of climate change. Over two million seedlings of tree species have been planted and over 40 hectares of natural shelter belts rehabilitated with indigenous trees in the five districts.

Initially those community members that came to help with tree planting were mostly 12 and 13-year-old girls with babies. GEP realised if the community was to develop, a collaborative community approach was required. Working with the community GEP identified many problems in the local communities including environmental degradation, poor health and nutritional problems. Many of these problems could be linked to a lack of education. GEP responded by setting up a school:

GEP is a champion of establishing community schools in the remote rural areas in Rubanda, Kabale and Rukungiri. GEP is spearheading the campaign to construct community schools in the most remote areas. GEP's first school is the St. Elizabeth Nursery and Primary School in Bushure village in Uganda with over 130 pupils. GEP plans to extend this model to construct further schools in other rural areas and to develop a vocational education programme. GEP also operates an environmental education programme in community groups and churches in the five districts.

GEP works with several women's groups in rural communities. Most of these groups comprise of the elderly, child headed families and widows; the majority of these are HIV infected. There is no health centre in the communities in which GEP operates and most children and elderly are susceptible to disease. GEP is working with communities to develop agricultural practises to improve the health and nutrition of the communities. In the future GEP plans to establish a health facility to offer basic health services to rural people.