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Our story: The Batwa are forest pygmies, and the original inhabitants of Bwindi Impenetrable forest and other rain forests. While their livelihood depended on the forest, they lived in relative balance with the forest and shared the forest with the wildlife for millennia.

In 1991, their homeland was designated as a protected area for endangered Mountain Gorillas. The Batwa people were evicted and have been forced to live the edge of society, marginalized, struggling to survive, to feed their children, and to maintain their culture.

One way to help them long term is through education. While there are free public schools in Uganda, they are not adequately funded, are over crowded, and generally not conducive in raising the quality of life for the student and their families.

According to a BBC report, 68% of students in public school do not finish primary education, and more than 61% of public school teachers failed basic math and literacy tests. Girls are especially at risk of dropping out prior to reaching secondary school. Therefore parents prefer to send their children to private school where they can really thrive. These are often hours from home so they need to board at the school. There are additional fees for books, bedding, food, transportation and other expenses.

The good news is that by U.S. standards, the cost for a year of school is very affordable. For secondary school it’s ~ $600 for the year. For primary school it’s $150 to $300 depending on the grade level. For kindergarten, the cost is $100 per year. For residential schools (where the children stay in the dormitory), add an extra $300-$500 per year. Higher education/vocational training has additional expenses that we are happy to share with you.

Consider a gift today.

To see pics of children who recently already received support, visit http://rafikiwildlife.org/batw...

Sahaya International is a USA-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, so contributions in the USA are tax-deductible. You will receive an email receipt. As Sahaya International is volunteer-based, all donations are sent over to support the program.

Support the education of Batwa children at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest