Biodiversity Conservation for Rural Development-Uganda (BCRD-Uganda)

Community-driven socioeconomic empowerment of Indigenous Batwa households in Kisoro

This COVID-19 innovation project is about the community-driven socioeconomic empowerment of Indigenous Batwa in six groups around Echuya Central Forest Reserve (CFR) in Kisoro District, South West Uganda. The lockdown in Uganda started a month after the beginning of the academic year. Non-Batwa households that previously employed Batwa workers could not sustain this as they were also facing the repercussions of Covid-19 preventive measures on their livelihoods. There were also rumors of the Batwa being COVID-19 carriers, this further hindered them from visiting non-Batwa homes in search of work. Because the Batwa live in secluded settlements they did not benefit from the relief food and facemasks from the government. They were particularly impacted by the pandemic and the SOPs and poverty and food insecurity in their families increased. BCRD-Uganda has been implementing a project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) where the  Batwa are sensitized about COVID-19 and the prevention measures. To this end, 1000 masks have been distributed to the Indigenous Batwa. The Batwa women and youth groups are also facilitated in handicraft making for improved incomes and other viable on-farm and off-farm enterprises for improved food and nutrition (beekeeping, sheep rearing, crop growing). 1000 masks have been distributed to the Indigenous Batwa. 

Facebook | Blogspot | LinkedIn

COVID-19 Sensitization meeting with Biizi Batwa