Partnership with Batwa “Pygmies”: Not the Easiest but Highly Impactful
Volunteering with Batwa “Pygmies”? Not the easiest thing in the world, yet potentially highly impactful! Londoner Edd had selected it from our long list of projects that had been waiting for the right person — and that’s how he found himself in a dugout with two Batwa delegates. The destination: BirdNest Resort, Lake Bunyonyi.
There, manager Charles shared his insights on the boat tours to Batwa communities on the other side of the lake. Like all hotels, BirdNest strives to accommodate guests’ requests to “see the Pygmies,” but the experience sometimes falls short. The communities visited are not always as welcoming as one would desire, they are occasionally tipsy and frequently disorganised. Clients are left questioning where their money goes and why there is no positive impact visible, despite the influx of tourist dollars.
The sad truth is that these trips may have been contributing more to alcoholism than to community development. On the other hand, Gorilla Highlands Experts’ work at Echuya Forest has proven that better results are possible. With this in mind, Edd was tasked with developing a responsible tourism model for Bunyonyi. Accompanied by his family, he first visited the successful community at Rwamahano (Echuya) and then hiked to the less fortunate group at Makanga (Bunyonyi).
Last Thursday Norah from Rwamahano and Jack from Makanga were invited to Edirisa for a meeting. Based on the discussions, Edd’s daughter Rosie drafted a leaflet while her dad and our guide Owen organised a Sunday pilot tour to Jack’s people. Volunteers from Backpackbrothers (Greece) were happy to participate … and it proved “interesting” as Edd would put it succinctly.
Two main challenges arose: the walk to Makanga was a bit long and some intoxicated members of the community tried to disrupt the day. However, during his earlier family hike Edd had gotten to know our impressive Mama Bena and he came up with a proposed solution: the serious core of Jack’s Batwa could instead meet travelers at her place. On Monday she agreed to the idea — she would handle the cooking, and Jack would provide cultural entertainment. Mama Bena will talk with Jack today …
Stay tuned!
