About The Batwa

The Batwa tribe of Uganda has a rich cultural history and is one of the oldest inhabitants of the African Great Lakes region. Also known as Twa or Pygmy, they are an ethnic group that is found primarily in northwest Uganda. Living in relative isolation since ancient times, they have managed to maintain their unique cultural identity throughout the centuries. The Batwa are semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers who live by subsistence farming; given their lifestyle, they rely heavily on their surrounding environment for their livelihoods. Often marginalized and excluded within modern Ugandan society, many Batwa people still reside in the rainforest and practice a way of life heavily dependent on their natural environment for sustenance. In the 1990’s, the Batwa were displaced from their ancestral land by the government of Uganda to create the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The Batwa had resided on this land for centuries. Due to government regulations and an initiative to secure the conservation and protection of the mountain gorillas that inhabit the region, they are now being evicted without compensation or relocation aid. As a consequence of this forced removal from their homes and traditional livelihoods, many members of the Batwa community face extreme poverty and lack access to basic resources needed for survival.