Batwa are an Indigenous ethnic minority group in south western Uganda that are now trapped in poverty that has lasted for decades (many years). Their children frequently inherit chronic poverty if they are to survive infancy. Many Batwa especially their children die prematurely from easily preventable health problems.
For the Batwa poverty is not simply about having a very low income: it is about multidimensional deprivation, hunger, under-nutrition, illiteracy levels, unsafe drinking water , lack of access to basic health services, social discrimination, physical insecurity and political exclusion. Whichever way, one may frame the problem of Batwa’s chronic poverty- as human suffering, as vulnerability, as basic needs failure, as the abrogation of human rights and as degraded citizenship.
An example of a mutwa house (stone piled).
Thus widespread chronic poverty among the Batwa occurs in situation whereby mandated agencies have knowledge and resources to reduce/eradicate it.
United organization for Batwa development in Uganda (UOBDU) believes that there are robust ethical grounds for arguing that Batwa merit (qualify) the greatest international, national and personal attention and efforts.
Addressing Batwa chronic poverty sooner than later will achieve much greater results at dramatically lower cost.
United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda 