African International Christian Ministry (AICM) in partnership with Pilot Light Foundation have donated skilling equipment to the marginalized Batwa communities with the aim of uplifting them from poverty.
The donation aims at transforming vulnerable and marginalized communities by addressing causes of poverty, vulnerability and inability by these communities.
According to the acting Executive director of AICM Denis Mucunguzi, the donated items will provide alternative sources of income through skills development like hair cutting, tailoring and Crafts making.
The items include sewing machines, shaving equipment, female saloon equipments, sisal rolls for making baskets, Knives, all worth Shs 10 million.
The Batwa beneficiaries are from the areas of Murambo in Butanda sub county Kabale district Rwamahano, and Kashasha both in Rubanda district.
According to Mucunguzi, the beneficiaries were first trained to be able to use the donations.
Rurindi Julius Akankwasa and Mildred Mukadelita both beneficiaries while expressing their happiness noted that they will mint a lot of money especially during this Christmas season.
The Batwa in Uganda (today) experience systematic and pervasive discrimination from the government and other sectors of society, and their rights as indigenous peoples are neither recognized nor respected.
A few Batwa own very little agricultural land, and the least productive, in designated locations in hard-to-reach hilly terrain near the forest.
Before the declaration of Echuya as a central government forest reserve, the forest was heavily encroached upon. Up to now, some activities such as wild hunting, collection of honey, mushrooms, water, bamboo for basket making, building poles, making of bee hives and fire wood are being carried out by both Batwa and non-Batwa dominant ethnic communities.
Batwa, illegally hunted in the forest due to lack of alternative sources of food. The forest is also of cultural importance to the Batwa, who offer religious sacrifices to their gods. Echuya Batwa were never involved nor considered for consultation and compensation when the decision-making process to exclude them from the forest was being taken.
As a result, most Batwa became landless with extreme poverty and have been reduced to a life of destitution, living on non-Batwa’s land as squatters.
They have been forced to resort to begging, providing cheap manual labour, prostitution and stealing for survival. They are referred to as marginalized minority people, internally displaced persons or environmental refugees.
Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
