Racial Justice Uganda Project #72513

SUPPORT MARGINALIZED PYGMY BATWA IN UGANDA

by KIGEZI HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION (KIHEFO)

Project Report | May 29, 2026
OVER 70 BATWA CHILDREN ENROLLED ON NUTRITION

By ADANIA KEZZY | PROJECT LEADER

More than 70 Batwa Children have been enrolled on Nutrition project. More are being identified. The Batwa people are an indigenous group in Southwestern Uganda who suffer from extreme marginalization and high rates of malnutrition following their eviction from ancestral forests (Bwindi and Mgahinga) in the 1990s to create conservation areas. Landless and impoverished, many survive as squatters, experiencing severe food insecurity and limited access to healthcare. Evicted to create national parks for gorilla conservation, the Batwa lost their hunter-gatherer livelihood, leaving them as landless labourers. Batwa community children in Uganda suffer from high rates of severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), with studies indicating roughly 20–25% of children meeting criteria for malnutrition. This crisis is rooted in profound poverty, landlessness, and chronic food insecurity, causing around 38% of their children to die before age five. Following eviction from their traditional forest homes in Bwindi, the Batwa lack land for agriculture, forcing reliance on low-paying, unpredictable Labor. Average annual income per household i is extremely low (~$25), severely limiting access to sufficient food leading to food insecurity and endemic hunger. Malnutrition is compounded by high rates of malaria and gastrointestinal infections, which are worsened by unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation. Food insecurity is exacerbated during the dry season when food availability and quality drop significantly. Our ongoing initiatives focus on teaching nutrition, promoting vegetable growing, and improving sanitation to break the cycle of malnutrition. Despite these efforts, the Batwa remain one of the most marginalized and vulnerable ethnic groups in Uganda, facing persistent, multi-dimensional deprivation.

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Jan 30, 2026
OVER 50 BATWA CHILDREN TO START SCHOOL IN 2026

By Geoffrey Anguyo | project Leader

Batwa people belong to the pygmy communities that were originally leaving in forests where they would survive on root tubers, hunting, natural vegetables honey and many other edible natural substances from the forest. They were not part of the farming group. They were removed from the forests by force between 1989 and 1990 because they were thought to be part of the people killing some animals like mountain gorillas that were already endangered. They were forced to engage in agricultural practices that they were not used to with limited support and limited land. As a result of this many of their children do not go to school mainly because of extreme poverty and chronic lack of food. Kigezi Healthcare Foundation has mobilized more that 50 children to join school this year 2026.

Dropping out of school is a significant challenge for Batwa children in Uganda

, with some research indicating dropout rates as high as 51.4% across certain districts. Most Batwa families live below the poverty line, making it impossible to afford uniforms, scholastic materials, and school fees (especially for secondary and tertiary levels).Children often face bullying, mockery, and isolation from peers and teachers. This psychological abuse and "victimization" at school lead many to leave early.

Many children cannot afford lunch at school, leading to poor concentration and eventually dropping out. Many Batwa settlements are remote, requiring children to trek long distances, which results in frequent absenteeism and fatigue. The eviction of the Batwa from their forest homes left them without land for cultivation, forcing children into cheap labor or begging to support their families. The formal curriculum rarely incorporates Batwa culture or language, making the educational experience feel alien to their lived experiences. Batwa girls face additional barriers, including: Risks of ambush and harassment on the way to school often lead to teenage pregnancies. Missing school during menstruation due to lack of pads leads to falling behind and eventually dropping out or entering early marriages. Some parents, lacking formal education themselves, may not fully appreciate the long-term benefits of the current school system or may prefer to have children assist with immediate survival needs.

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