John Bosco Tusingwire (1979-2023): Agricultural Innovator
John Bosco Tusingwire
The time I spent with John Bosco Tusingwire was short, but meaningful. When I met him in 2019 as a summer agricultural intern, I quickly found that John was a passionate and joyful individual who wanted to create positive movement in our world. John spearheaded the agriculture program in Bwindi, teaching hundreds of Batwa how to farm and create their own income. He took on the challenge of relieving hunger and poverty in the Batwa community through agriculture.
Until being evicted from the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in 1991, the Batwa lived as hunter-gatherers. Out of the forest, they had few skills for survival. In just five years serving as Agricultural Director of the Batwa Development Program (BDP), John had established successful farming operations that provide sustenance and a steady source of income for the local community in all eleven Batwa settlements run by the BDP.
Knowing the Batwa were deeply connected to the forest and lived closely to the land, John’s teachings seamlessly connected their life as hunter gatherers with their new life as farmers. He taught them that in order to fully respect the land, you must return what you take. He employed organic and biodiverse farming to ensure the long-term health of the land. His full-circle approach used compost, animal waste, wood ash, crop rotation, and even human waste to return nutrients back into the earth. John was creative, resourceful, and sustainable with his farming practices. He taught that like any good relationship, we must think of future generations as we sustain ourselves.
John constantly thought about the longevity of his projects and was a regular visitor at the surrounding primary and secondary schools. By establishing gardens at every BDP school, John was not only able to provide students and teachers with a free lunch, but also gave students and teachers hands-on farming experience to ensure the success of future generations.
Outside of his work with the BDP, John founded his own organization with the aim of conserving Uganda’s rich biodiversity by bringing harmony between man and nature. He extended his organic agricultural literacy program to include other nearby tribes. John also managed his own farm and owned and operated a farm-to-table restaurant.
John was not afraid to set large goals or take a leap of faith. Although his ambitious plans were cut short after a courageous battle with stomach cancer, his legacy will be seen in the success of the organic farms and sustainable structures, and in the knowledge he left behind. Because of John Bosco, the Batwa and their neighbors have the tools they need to be successful in farming for many generations to come.
Written by Annie Corley, Volunteer