Celebrating a busy year in our community projects

Hi, this is Dr Samson Weikhe,

I’ve just been visiting some of the indigenous people’s communities around the gorilla habitat on Mount Mgahinga, SW Uganda which our supporters have helped transform, building a brighter future for people and, just as importantly, the endangered gorillas they live right alongside.

Historically, the indigenous Batwa were hunter-gatherers. They lived in the dense forests of modern-day Uganda, as well as in parts of modern-day Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo. With the establishment of protected National Parks, the Batwa were moved out of their ancestral lands and since then have been struggling to make lives for themselves outside of the forests.

We’ve been working with the Batwa for more than 20 years now. Through our partnership with UOBDU (the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda), we help empower indigenous people, giving them the skills, resources and knowledge they need to grow food and earn a living outside the national parks.