Empowering the Batwa Through Sustainable Livelihoods

During our family's gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda, we encountered the Batwa people—an indigenous hunter-gatherer tribe who were displaced from their ancestral forest homeland to create a conservation area for mountain gorillas. Without access to their traditional way of life, the Batwa were left struggling to support themselves in an unfamiliar world. When we met our lodge owner, Seith, we noticed he wore a Rotary pin and asked if he knew of a worthy project for Be A Rosie. Around a campfire that evening, we shared Rosie's story and her deep love of art and crafts. Seith's face lit up with inspiration: what if we could train Batwa community members to create handmade souvenirs that they could sell to the thousands of tourists who visit the gorillas each year? This would provide them with a sustainable, dignified source of income while preserving their cultural heritage. Seith, who founded an organization called AFRICODE to support the Batwa and helped feed them during the COVID-19 pandemic, developed a budget of $1,800 to train fifteen Batwa in arts and crafts production. This covers food, a small stipend, transportation, and all necessary supplies for the training program. AFRICODE is contributing $800, and Be A Rosie is raising the remaining $1,000 through t-shirt sales and donations. Seith will document the entire journey with photographs, sharing the progress of the Batwa participants during and after their training. This project beautifully honors Rosie's creative spirit while empowering the Batwa people to rebuild their lives with dignity and self-sufficiency. Join us in making a lasting difference—purchase a Be A Rosie t-shirt or make a donation today through our Batwa Fundraiser.