Helping a Forest people, the Batwa, who were displaced from a habitat they shared with the Mountain Gorillas.
Dear Friends, do please join me in this Fund Raising effort, in partnership with the Kellermann Foundation (http://kellermannfoundation.org), to help offer the Batwa children a chance at a better education, and a chance to survive in this rapidly changing world.
Kindly join me by donating any amount. The donations are Tax Deductible and will go directly to the Kellermann Foundation, which offers Health and Education services to the Batwa, in Bwindi, Uganda.
Click on the Paypal Donate Button below to give a gift of any amount.
|
|
|
A Worthwhile Journey
The Batwa Experience was created by the displaced Batwa pygmies to educate their children and to share their amazing heritage and traditions with the world.
This cultural site is a project of the Batwa Development Program, a community organization that supports the Batwa at becoming self-sufficient.
Step back in time to see how the Batwa lived for millenia in the Bwindi, one of the most beautiful jungles on earth and home of the famous mountain gorillas.
http://www.batwaexperience.com |
|
Investing in the Health and Education of the Batwa
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to some of the greatest biodiversity on the planet, a profusion of exotic plants and animals that includes the endangered mountain gorilla. For thousands of years, the forest was also home to an indigenous people; the Batwa pygmies.
As the original dwellers of this ancient jungle, the Batwa were known as “The Keepers of the Forest.” The history of these small-statured people is long and rich. The Batwa survived by hunting small game using arrows or nets and gathering plants and fruit in the rain forest. They lived in huts constructed of leaves and branches, moving frequently in search of fresh supplies of food.
The Batwa lived in harmony with the forest and its creatures, including the mountain gorillas, for millennia. Some anthropologists estimate that pygmy tribes such as the Batwa have existed in the equatorial forests of Africa for 60,000 years or more.
In 1992, the lives of the Batwa pygmies changed forever. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest became a national park and World Heritage Site to protect the 350 endangered mountain gorillas within its boundaries. The Batwa were evicted from the park. Since they had no title to land, they were given no compensation.
The Batwa became conservation refugees in an unfamiliar, unforested world.
Many Batwa died during the early years of exile, and the tribe’s very existence was severely threatened. Since 2001, American medical missionaries Dr. Scott and Carol Kellermann have dedicated themselves to serving the Batwa in southwest Uganda.
The Kellermanns purchased land and established programs to improve conditions for the tribe—home-building, schools, a hospital and clinics, water and sanitation projects, income generation, and the promotion of indigenous rights.
These activities are now being assumed by the Batwa themselves through the Batwa Development Program (BDP). The BDP is managed by the Batwa, with a non-Batwa advisory committee that helps to implement programs. It is supported by the Kellermann Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization. |
|
Solomon, thanks for exploring the new life of human related to that of Gorillas in terms of know how of the floral and fauna of the forested zone. As a tourism Graduate, the Batwa pigmies are indeed people whom i know can adopt to change through the support of the world governments and NGOs interms of Education, Religion, Economy, health, political sphere among many. I also call upon all institutions to suport in the civilization of the pigmies (brothers and sisters) through Kellerman Foundation and i hence beiieve their life can be the same like all others in the universe once all this is perfected.
Thanks Solomon for spreading the word about the plight of the Batwa Pygmies and and for promoting their rich traditions and cultural heritage. As human beings,we all precious traditions and roots that are worth preserving.Keep on keeping on man,your efforts will never be in vain.