The Ugandan government launched a project to advance community - centred conservation, Kanyamahene Batwa Model Village in Kisoro District in the Western Region of Uganda, an area highlighted the by the presence of relevant attractions such as the Virunga Volcanoes all of which lie on the Uganda – Rwanda border, the emblematic Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
This initiative aimed at supporting indigenous communities while promoting sustainable conservation was officially launched by State Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Hon. Martin Mugarra to provide permanent housing clean water, and farmland for eight Batwa families, an indigenous group historically displaced from forest areas near Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks.
The Batwa, often called “the keepers of the forest”, are one of Africa’s oldest indigenous tribes. With a history dating back thousands of years, they are believed to be among the first inhabitants of the equatorial forests in what is now Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and make up 0.2% of the Ugandan population.
The project is led by the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust (BMCT), a registered Trust Fund established in 1994 with the vision of conserving the biodiversity and ecosystems health in harmony with development needs of the surrounding communities.
Developed in partnership with relevant organisations such as WWF, the village reflects a wider commitment to inclusive conservation and sustainable development in the Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Area.
Since its inception, Bwindi Mgahinga Conservation Trust with its mission to foster conservation in the national park through investment in community development projects, ecological monitoring and park management also has supported 300 Batwa households with land, 17 permanent houses, assisted over 700 children with education, and enhanced preservation through ranger training, anti - poaching efforts, and human - wildlife mitigation.
Following this initiative, the Government now plans to replicate the model in other regions of Uganda, aligning environmental protection with community empowerement.
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