The Batwa people are a minority hunter-gatherer group, who traditionally lived within the forests and survived off small mammals and plants. When the National Park was gazetted the Batwa were forced to leave the forest and were no longer able to enter the park to gather food. In coordination with the Park Authorities, his activity enables the Batwa to venture back into the forest, to earn a living from tourism, and to help preserve their traditional culture.

Our US sales rep Jane Behrend recently took the Bwindi Batwa trail, here is a report from her.

"Four Batwa elders, all in their 70's and 80's guide guests through the forest. It was quite humbling to have these elder tiny people leaving me far behind on the trails! They demonstrate how they survived as hunter-gatherers in the forest on wild plants and animals. Their traditional homes were varied from caves, tree houses and a more traditional hut. Other local Batwa come into the forest for hunting demonstrations and singing. The dancing and singing done by the group is marvelous! There was even a display done by a traditional healer. It was one of the most authentic cultural activities I have ever experienced and definitely the highlight of my trip to Bwindi!

Over the years, most of the Batwa have lost a great deal of their culture. As part of the project, local Batwa children walk the trail and learn about their heritage. The day before I visited, they had over 22 children on the mountain. It is helping to renew their pride, as the Batwa are still a marginalized community."

The Bwindi Batwa trail takes approximately 5 hours and can be done from Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge. Income generated from this Batwa Trail walk is channeled back to the Batwa community through the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda (UOBDU).

Contact us for more information on how you can visit this project.