The Batwa also known as the “Pygmies” are one of the oldest inhabitants of Africa although their origin is unknown. They wandered around African forests in groups for ages looking for honey, wild yams, fruit, stems and tubers, and hunted small game with trained dogs. On the other side, the Batwa were highly skilled bowmen.
However, with time, the forests disappeared due to the rapid population outbursts implying more human settlement and encroachment on forest space. This in turn decreased the Batwa numbers. They bartered hides, meat, honey and yams in exchange for arrowheads, salt and crops.
The Batwa were feared as raiders and the English too admired their fearless fighting skills. They were monogamous, except when a woman was infertile. Potential husbands were often asked to provide the feathers of a Ruwenzori turaco or a flying squirrel to the future father in law as a test of their hunting skills. Bride purchase was believed to promote discord between families, though gifts of honey and wild animal meat were expected.
On the other hand, they were also famous entertainers, dancers and singers with their believed ‘strongest’ African traditional dance patterns. They were also known for their great love for local lique “tonto, muramba, bushera” and other distilled alcoholic drinks. As any other disfranchised indigenous group, they resorted to drinking as a way to deal with their situation.
Eventuary, around the year 1992, the inhabiting Batwa groups in Uganda were forcibly evicted from Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks but received no reimbursement. Currently, they are sidelined and are being taunted with a number of snags ranging from poor health care, landlessness, poverty and lack of quality education.
As of today, Uganda boosts of about 7,000 Batwa living in Southwest.
In Uganda, “See the Pygmies” is one of the most popular tourism activities. Due to their interesting and primitive life styles of living, the Batwa communities provide an all-round unique adventure worth having a taste of.
However, there are Batwa projects that have emerged supporting the poorest of the communities around the south western highlands. With the exception of Batwa Today, all the tourism activities fall in the living history category. One will see Batwa in costumes very professionally and at times audaciously re-forming their predetermined forest lifestyle.
With a mystical past and an un known future, the Batwa continue to be an exciting group of countrymen. Having intermarried with other existing cultures around their habitats, the Batwa culture is slowly declining. Never the less, a visit to the south western highland community could be one of the greatest adventures you could ever imagine. Try it today; you will probably have a column to write.
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