When the Batwa were displaced from their native forest in 1991, they were given no land or compensation. They strove to survive in an unfamiliar region with unfamiliar resources.

BEFORE

The Batwa lived for millennia in the area that is now the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. They were skilled hunters and gatherers who used every part of the forest, including bark for their clothing and trees for protective shelter.

When they were displaced from the forest, they existed on the fringes of society, sometimes starving, with no land of their own, no history of formal education, limited job skills, and few options for improving their lives.

The Batwa Development Program was formed to address the root causes of extreme poverty and poor health. Batwa representatives from each settlement help guide the work.

NOW

With the help of Kellermann Foundation supporters, the Batwa Development Program works toward these ongoing goals and programs:

Education for all Batwa children
Income production through a variety of programs that help the Batwa become self-sufficient
Batwa Experience walking tour to give Batwa children and visiting tourists and opportunity to learn Batwa traditions and to preserve the Batwa culture
Batwa Women’s Center and adult education to provide life skills, literacy, woodworking, health and nutrition, and craft-making, such as jewelry, baskets, soap, and sewing
Agriculture in the form of gardens at their homes and schools to provide improved nutrition and income sources; rearing of pigs, goats, and rabbits
Spiritual outreach shared by Christian leaders, Ugandan university groups, and long-term missionaries in a way that helps the Batwa apply faith to daily issues with culturally relevant Christian messages and counseling
Home building to replace temporary leaf huts with robust brick homes with metal roofs

HOW WE HELP

Support more than 1,200 children in education at every level from nursery through secondary school
Provide shoes, clothing, mattresses and other supplies, as well as tutoring and transportation during breaks for Batwa students at Bishops’ Primary School (boarding school)
Increase the number of students moving on to secondary school
Host Careers Day for secondary students
Facilitate a three-year residency of a OneStory Bible translator to form an oral Bible and a team of Batwa OneStory leaders in each settlement for the Batwa to share stories from the Bible for generations to come
Construct community buildings, homes, kitchens and pit latrines
Train Batwa in all settlements in sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry, and supply families with chickens, ducks, pigs, goats and rabbits, and seeds
Sell hundreds of items made by Batwa women through the Batwa Women’s Centre
Expand savings programs for the artisans of the Mukongoro Women’s Centre
Provide spiritual care in the form of reconciliation training, grief counseling and mentoring
Provide opportunities for Batwa children and international visitors to learn about Batwa heritage and forest culture at the Batwa Experience and Batwa Walk living history experiences
Pay eQuality Health insurance fees for Batwa and fund treatment for Batwa care at Bwindi Community Hospital