HEAL

Health Education Agricultural and Land rights

Empowering Batwa women and men in southwestern Uganda to achieve sustainable livelihoods through increased access to land, food security, diversified income sources, improved health and higher levels of education. Implemented in Kisoro and Kabale districts With CARE international in Uganda

Landless and living in extreme poverty in small settlements on other people’s land, the Batwa population is on of the most vulnerable and discriminated ethnic groups in Uganda.

The Batwa people are traditional indigenous forest dwellers but were expelled from their habitat in 1991 when Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park were gazetted as national parks. Without any provision of new land for settlement or alternative means of livelihoods, most Batwa families survive by working for small amounts of food or cash or by begging. As a result, a large proportion of the Batwa suffer from marginalization, depression, poor health, alcoholism and lack of hope for a better future.

BMCT supports the Batwa to achieve sustainable livelihoods by procuring land, establishing permanent houses, providing agricultural and small-scale business training, establishing VSLAs and disseminating hygiene and nutrition information. It is our aim to empower Batwa households to secure consistent income and to enable them to nourish their families and educate their children on their earnings.