By Reese Ibanez, RSF Intern
Imagine a life where the forest is not just a home, but a sacred partner; providing everything from food, medicine, shelter, and even spirituality. This was the reality for the Batwa people for thousands of years — until they were forcibly removed, at gunpoint no less, in 1991.
The Batwa people, also known as the “Twa” people or Bambuti in the Congo, are an indigenous East-Central African tribe; anthropologists estimate they have existed in the equatorial forests of Africa for 60,000 years or more. They’re known for their deep connection to the forest where they’ve settled in regions of Africa including areas of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Batwa people once lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle/hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Skins and other forest products were exchanged for food with tribes living outside the forest. They lived in harmony with nature and protecting the rainforest has always been their main priority. They prospered by using forest herbs for medicine, hunting small animals, and gathering plants for food. With their extensive history, their rich culture plays a significant part in their heritage and what makes them so unique. They had three main types of houses: caves, omurimbo, and ichuro. The primary homes were the caves and omurimbos where the ichuros were used for resting and storing food like beans, meat, and honey.
Aside from their rich culture, historically, they’ve had to face various obstacles and discrimination but it got worse after 1991, when the Ugandan government, with the full support of many international conservation organizations, turned their ancestral forest home into two parks to protect endangered mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. Their culture and traditions started to degenerate and disappear because of living outside of the forest and the devastating loss to their livelihoods, culture, traditions and even access to food. Being pushed out of their forests alienated themselves from their livelihoods, and their cultural and spiritual heritage. Currently, enduring issues persist with this community such as the Batwa children’s lack of access to education, gender-based violence, and socioeconomic obstacles. Many children have only the shirt on their backs and are lucky if they get one meal a day. They have had to adapt to a new way of living that's completely different from their traditional one, and this transition brought upon many difficult challenges of impoverishment, alcoholism, abuse and a breakdown of social norms.
However, they maintain a spirited passion towards life and a willingness to work to better their lives and communities. The story of the Batwa people is a powerful testament to their resilience and deep connections to the natural world. Despite the immense challenges they have faced and are facing, they continue to carry their traditions and culture with them through elders and the storytellers of each generation. Their knowledge and perseverance should not be ignored and should serve to urge people to recognize the importance of preserving ancestral ties, culture, and traditions.
As Redemption Song Foundation celebrates 10 years of collaboration with this minority indigenous tribe, we are raising money to invest in creating an "alternative economy" that can not only help them survive day to day but can give them power in society, from the local to the international stage. The key? The power of story. We are raising funds to create the Batwa Peace & Power Youth Leadership Center, which will train youth in making money by selling their stories, photos, and artwork over the internet through phone and computer technology. We are working to Change the Narrative! Too many stories you find when you Google search are not only negative, but they're not written by the Batwa people. Help us change that! Donate today!
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