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THE BATWA PEOPLE

Author: The administrator, 2018-11-26 .

 Tourists always have very many questions about the Batwa people. The Batwa people where the first people who lived in the forests. The Batwa people are known as the pygmies, they are most vulnerable, voiceless and endangered group of people around forest Reserves in Kisoro and Kabale District of southwestern part of Uganda.

 The forests are located in the Albertine Rift regions which are recognized as an important Eco-region. The Batwa people are believed to have migrated from the Ituri forest of the Democratic Republican of Congo in search of wild animals to hunt and feed on, recently there in Kisoro a local name that means “the area occupied by wild animals”. The Batwa people live in small huts made out of sticks and grass.

The Batwa people were forest dweller  500,000 years ago who were hunter, gathers based in the Great lakes regions of central Africa, their the main original inhabitant of the forest regions.

The establishment of the Bwindi and Mgahinga National park for Mountain Gorillas in 1991, this led to the evict of Batwa people from the forest in order to protect the forest, wildlife, primates and many more, and they never received any compensation in form of land or money, yet the non Batwa farmers who destroyed the ad received compensations, land rights. The Batwa in Uganda their rights are not recognized nor respected people and their historical claim.

Well Gorilla –forest conservation-Tourism, birds, chimpanzees, animals, and Batwa people co-exist since they lived for all period of time in one environment. The Batwa people have a story to tell, on how they lived and how the creator gifted them with Rain forest although they felted rejected when they were evicted by the government.

Visiting the Batwa people, one helps the Traditional the culture alive.

The Batwa people gathered, hunted, carried out farming, they never destroyed the rainforest for all the 500,000 years they lived in the forest, no charcoal making, lived a forestry life and never disturbed the environment, wildlife including mountain Gorillas. 

The Batwa pygmies lived a life without farming, livestock keeping; The Batwa people love the forest as much as they love their own body.

 The Batwa people never killed the Gorillas and have never eaten them, Batwa people are usually blamed for poaching, Gorilla killing that takes place in Mgahinga National park and Bwindi impenetrable forest part of the biggest national parks in Africa inhabiting the mountain Gorillas.

The Batwa people have become marginalized, living in poverty on the parks boundaries. The Batwa people are not respected and are seen as lazy, thieves, drunkards, pot smoking and many more.

Non Batwa don’t want to marry Batwa, yet they rape them over 50% total claim to have been raped by the non Batwa who believe by sleeping with Batwa people they can easily be cured of AIDS. 

This sexual intercourse has resulted into non pygmy children being born in the community. They refuse and act violence to even have meals with them.

Hospitals and clinics refuse treatment of Batwa people. The Batwa culture ways of gathering, hunting were lost at a time, where people would just hear stories of old age but never always experienced the similar life.

They gathered honey, traditional medicine, hurting, dancing, and these skills where no longer taught to the young Batwa people because they had no access to the forest.

The Batwa people have a voice say, The Batwa organization Uganda, the voice helps to speak out for making a difference on their behalf. 

The dream to live a better life still exists in their minds to go back into the forest and live their environment life with the Mountain Gorillas, wildlife and once again live a humble and peacefully life, something that will never happen.

The forest sustains both people and Gorillas where the Batwa could transmit diseases to the Gorillas, especially the habituated one.

The Batwa people are less 3,000 today, people and agencies are trying their best to revive the Batwa spirit of old ways, animals including the endangered Mountain Gorillas.

Visiting the Batwa people-the first people to inhabit the rain forest in Uganda-Encounter with the Batwa trail-Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national parks in Uganda.

The trail and beautiful sceneries encounter with Batwa guides, it’s an exceptional and allows you to see the forests through the first people who lived there. The Batwa trail gives you an opportunity to dance, listen to stories, visit caves, share meals. Learn the ancient ways of hunting, gathering food, dress, and use of local herbs in the ancient forest.

The Batwa people have amazing activities one should encounter including black smith working, dances, songs, storytelling, herbalist, traditional healers(his not a witch or wizard performs  through herbs), farming, hunting, sharing food and many more to encounter on your travel.

Dina Tours and Travel brings you closer to this amazing opportunity to encounter with the first people who lived in the forest.

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