BMTC engages Batwa in farming, Education & Healthy living
Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust (BMCT) has implored the Batwa communities living in Kisoro district to embrace livelihood activities like small scale farming if their wellbeing must match with other peoples’ standards.
The call was made by the BMCT programmes manager in Kisoro district, Claire Kahunzire while supplying different Vegetable seeds, Hoes and forked hoes to the Batwa living in Kanyamahene village, Rushaga ward in Rubuguri town council.
According to Kahunzire, BMCT’s major objective is to change Kanyamahene Batwa hill into a model area for all Batwa in the district by engaging them in small-scale farming, proper sanitation, education, tree planting, and discipline among others.
BMCT has already constructed nine permanent houses with kitchens and pit latrines for 9 households at Kanyamahene Batwa hill while others are being constructed in Rushaga village.
Kahunzire asked the beneficiary Batwa to at least set up racks, always keep pathways to their houses smart and sweep their houses so that other Batwa can look at them as examples.
Speaking to our reporter, the Batwa living in Kanyamahene village hailed BMCT for greatly improving their lives to a certain level where other people can share with them.
They revealed that before BMCT came in to buy for them land and eventually construct for them houses since they used to sleep under makeshifts that could leak during heavy rains.
They also pointed out that their only way of survival after eviction from the forests was to work for non Batwa people.
Other Batwa commended BMCT that lobbied rainy water harvesting tanks that have eased their search for clean water stressing that they used to fetch dirty water from nearby ponds.
They added that BMCT has and is still training them on how to grow green vegetables an aspect that is important to their future lifestyle.