The purpose of this fundraiser is to raise money to support the Batwa communities by providing them with necessities such as food, water and personal items, agricultural tools and supplies and seeds to grow crops, such as coffee, for both consumption and income. Our fund assists the Batwa with essential basic needs that strengthen their ability to live on their own, without disturbing the endangered mountain gorillas inhabiting the Bwindi National Forests. Human-wildlife conflict is well documented as the number one threat to endangered species through poaching and environmental destruction.
Across the world, Covid 19 has impacted national economies. In Uganda, an already poor country, covid 19 has devastated entire communities whose jobs and livelihoods are dependent on the tourism industry. No where is this more true than in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In this area, more than 80% of the population’s livelihoods rely on tourism activities, such as guiding, hospitality and gorilla trekking.
The Batwa people, an aboriginal pygmy society, originally inhabited the Bwindi impenetrable forests and lived an isolated, subsistence hunter- gatherer existence. That is until 1991, when the government of Uganda declared the impenetrable forests a protected national park, making such activities such as hunting and logging illegal. In addition, that year, the Batwa in Uganda were evicted from the forests they had lived in since time immemorial. As a result, most were left landless, impoverished and in order to survive, resorted to begging and life as laborers on other people’s land. The Batwa were resettled in unfamiliar communities and without the education or farming knowledge to adjust to a different economic structure.
In more recent years, most of the Batwa have been participating in tourism activities, by entertaining tourists to earn a living. However, with the covid-19 threat, and the closure of the country, many of these families are going without food. Hunger and starvation are real issues. In addition, there is an ever increasing indication that these former forest dwellers and forest neighbors are returning home to the rain forest to hunt bush meat to feed their children.This threatens local wildlife and fragile eco-systems.
These communities are desperately in need of your help. Please donate whatever you can and your donation will go directly to buy survival necessities, such as food and supplies for the families most in need. Thank you for Saving the deepest communities in Africa.
Account Name: FAMITECH SOLUTIONS COMPANY LIMITED
Bank name: DFCU BANK UGANDA
Account No.: 01121028121859
Thank you for Taking taking Technology to the depeest communities in Africa
Good work , famitech , the sky is the limit love your work its really amazing ,