Land acquisition & home ownership
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Together We Can Help The Batwa
Help Themselves
Land Acquisition & Home Establishment Initiatives
Once relocated from the forest in 1991, the primary need for the Batwa was land on which to build their homesteads and learn to cultivate their food. From the onset, our project priority has been to secure land for the Batwa and aid them in their home establishment. We are playing a crucial role in finding and acquiring suitable land for the Batwa in their preferred areas, ensuring that each of them has a place to settle and call home. Not only do we prioritize land acquisition, but we also ensure that a portion of the acquired land is dedicated to home-building and agriculture purposes
Since the start of this initiative, we have had significant progress in a number of land acquisitions and home establishments. We now oversee 11 settlements that house over 1,800 Batwa, with each family assigned 1-2 acres of land.
We are committed to continued land acquisition efforts by purchasing additional land to be allocated to the Batwa community. Expanding their land holdings will give the Batwa a more secure future, free from the fear of displacement and landlessness.At the beginning of this initiative, the Batwa lived in rudimentary houses constructed using mud, poles,reedsand metal roof. These houses were prone to damage shortly after being constructed. For these houses to be maintained, the owners must go through a process of remudding and re-smearing cow dung onto them bi-annually. The issue we faced is that not only would the Batwa not implement these home processes, but they would also take apart their homes
Once relocated from the forest, the Batwas primary need was land. Without a place or area to call their own they will never feel comfortable, accepted or open to any others forms of help.
- Busingye Levi: Head of Land Acquisition and Home Establishment
