The Batwa have embraced modernity,thanks to BMCT’s interventions.
For the past 25 years, BMCT has invested in transforming the Batwa communities around Bwindi and Mgahinga transforming them from the mentality of entirely depending on the protected areas which had become a threat to the habitats of more than half of the remaining world’s mountain gorillas to being self sustaining in terms of house hold income, social status, education status, property ownership and health care.When the two protected areas were gazetted, in 1991, the Batwa whose main source of livelihood were these forest became unstable in terms of income and settlement since most of them did not own land. As a trust whose mandate is to maintain the ecosystem health of the protected areas in harmony with the developing needs of the surrounding communities, the Batwa had to be enabled to settle with the predominantly agricultural neighborhood. The following interventions were put in place to help the Batwa appreciate the value of conserving these forest instead of exploiting them:
- 406 Acres of land were purchased and distributed among the Batwa on which Batwa families resettled on th e land
- Fifty three homesteads constructed
- A scholarship scheme (Batwa sponsorship scheme) was established, an so so far the scheme has a beneficiary in her final year at univeristy.