Bwindi Batwa Farm

Welcome to Bwindi Batwa Farm

Update 2024: Bwindi Batwa Farm is in charge of the Batwa Farm at Kihihi and working closely with the Batwa members to make this program a big success. Click here to lear more about this exciting program.


Short history:

  • The Batwa people lived in the forest for more than 1000 years, until 1991, when the forces of conservation evicted them from the forest.
  • When they came out, they started working in the farms of other people (Bakiiga tribe), that were farmers.
  • The Batwa were food gatherers, hunters and honey-harvesters. So when they were evicted, they had no farming experience.
  • Some organizations started to help them with settlements but still, farming continued to be difficult to adapt to.
  • Robert Tweheyo was a community guide who worked with most of the Batwa settlements near Bwindi Buhoma. He got to know the challenges, the experiences of them, that were especially lack of food.
  • Batwa settlement depend on tourism for survival.
  • When COVID-19 emerged, tourism halted and the Batwa people suffered even more.
  • Robert and Calvin decided to start the farming project.
  • The goal of the farm project is to grow crops and raise pigs and goats.
  • The team includes 13 members, including Batwa elders and some children.
  • The first site is a piggery breeding site whereby the piglets will be distributed to all the settlements, with construction of additional piggeries in each Batwa settlement.  The goat project will be similar, and will include training the children on how to milk the goats.
  • The vegetables will be mostly to meet the direct nutritional needs of the Batwa people, with any excess being sold so the profit can help to meet their other needs.
  • You can donate to this program by going to our donation webpage and assigning your donation to Bwindi Batwa Farm.
  • If you like to know more info, don’t hesitate to e-mail : Batwafarmbwindi ‘at’ gmail.com.

 

Update April 2023: the piggery is fully active! Click on pictures below to see enlarged version

(click on the pictures below to see a larger version)