BATWA OF THE ALBERTINE RIFT VALLEY

The Twa, known as Batwa, are pygmy people who have lived in the Albertine Rift Valley region since immemorial time.

Batwa are storytellers and dancers, whose reputation reached up to the ancient Egyptian court. The legend says that their god, Nagasian, charged them with the responsibility of being the “caretakers of the forest”.

Traditionally, the Batwa have been a semi-nomadic hunter gatherer people of the mountain forests. Due to clearing of the forests for agriculture, logging, development projects, or creation of conservation areas, in recent decades the Batwa were removed from the forest and given no compensation, making them like refugees.

Batwa communities were found in the forests of Uganda, Rwanda, Eastern Congo, Burundi. They have relocated in areas far from the forests and many of them have found new sources of income as others became destitute. In 2000 the number of Batwa was about 80.000 people distributed in different countries.

Twa children have little access to education and their communities have limited representation in local and national government. Due to their pygmy ancestry, they continue to suffer ethnic prejudice, discrimination, violence, and general exclusion from society. It is also common to assist to the commercialization of the Batwa for tourist activities which have nothing of original or interesting.

True Batwa experience:

The Batwa Cultural Experience is a 100 acre forested site next to Bwindi Forest in Uganda. This is an ecotourist site created by the Batwa Development Program (BDP), a registered organization founded primarily by donations of Kellermann Foundation. The project was created with the objective to educate the children and to sensitize the world to the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Batwa. Moreover, it generates income through ecotourism activities.

The Cultural Experience is a very interesting journey through the forest, following the Batwa guides explaining about the typical life of the ancient Batwa, how they collected wild honey, how they were hunting. You will visit the traditional dwellings and participate in traditional dances. Learn about the medicinal plants.

Destination Jungle suggests to take this activity, since it is a genuine and authentic project, not a commercial one, but aimed at the real development of Batwa communities, moreover offering to visitors an unforgettable experience.