The Batwa Community Experience

Who are the Batwa

The Batwa community was also known as the pygmies are an indigenous group of people that live in south-western Uganda in the districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu, and Bundibugyo. They are known to be the first people of the forest and are believed to have lived in Bwindi impenetrable forest for over 60,000 years before they were evicted. These are the minority group after the migration of the Bantu tribes like the Bakiga into these districts.

In 1991, the Bwindi impenetrable forest was gazette by the government for purposes of its conservation and preservation but most importantly for the protection of the endangered Mountain Gorillas. This led to the eviction of the Batwa people from the forest and the beginning of their sad days. After their eviction, they became landless, and poor, and faced a lot of social challenges due to segregation from the other locals who up to today find their beliefs, culture, and stature to be unfitting.

The Batwa pygmies have an average height of 1.5 meters and were originally hunters and gatherers of food and fruits from the tropical rainforest. Today, they live at the edge of the forest depending on farming, and are still learning how to get accustomed to their new life. As a way to improve the livelihoods of the Batwa, the Batwa community trail/visit was developed.

The Batwa community visit.

The Batwa visit is a special experience for the Batwa people. They are an interesting group of people whose way of life is quite out of the ordinary. While visiting the Batwa, you get to learn a lot about their way of life and history.

Through storytelling, exciting cultural dances, and thrilling folk songs, you get a chance to have an authentic cultural experience with these people as they show you how they hunted and gathered food from the forest and also get to know how they lived in the forest and survived for all those years.

A guided visit to the Batwa community can cost you about 50 USD per person. These funds are used to support the livelihoods of the Batwa and to conserve their culture and tradition.