GYC visited 16 Batwa families in Mbuga Sector in Karongi District

The Batwa are among the poorest people in Rwanda. They were forced off their land, which was in the forested areas of Rwanda, and places in government housing in a new area that was unfamiliar to them. Because of this they struggle to produce enough food for their families. 

The Batwa are also know as Potters because of the unique pottery that they make. This pottery is their main source of income, which is unfortunate because the demand for these products are declining due to the fact that Rwandans are shifting towards a more modern form of cooking. Consequently the Potters experience poor life conditions due to an inconsistent income. 

 

Pottery

 In August 2015, GYC visited 16 Batwa families in Mbuga Sector in Karongi District. The GYC participants broke off into small groups where they had the opportunity to talk to the families about their daily lives and economic struggles. 

A common theme throughout these conversations were a concern for the lack of food, the ability for their children to complete basic education, and access to healthcare. 

 

One group in the conversation

 

 

After these conversations the GYC delegates discussed possible solutions to help them to improve their living conditions. One of the solitons we came up with was to help them build a kitchen garden. The reason we want to build a kitchen garden is to supply the families with a consistent diet, not only for the children but for the entire community. In turn, the children will not have to drop out of school due to the lack of nutrients. 

 

the family wandering there.

 

The Kitchen Garden project will entail GYC making Connections with the local school in order to monitor the progress of the project. We have decided to work with the school instead of  working directly with the Batwa because our last endeavor with them was not successful. In January 2015, GYC donated 6 pigs to these Batwa families and the community has already sold 4 of them. 

When we visited the house of pigs.

As the GYC August team 2015, we are looking forward to discuss and involving in the future of a kitchen garden project at Kabuga Village.