Saturday, November 15, 2008

Batwa: Indigenous and minority people in Burundi

Batwa: Indigenous and minority people in Africa

Batwa constitute the third category of the Burundian social layer and are a minority at 2% of all the Burundian population. They live without land and with their only means of subsistence being the crafting of traditional pottery and exchanging the pots for consumable goods while the rest of the Burundian population has agriculture and intellectual output. Currently, the pots are being replaced by the pans and the cans. The pots do not have value any more. Unfortunately this is the only source of income for life and for the expenses of school payments for their children.


Since the colonial period very few Batwa children have attended school. The statistics of 2007 at the national level indicate that there are 450 Batwa pupils in the secondary school and 3 students at the university. But it must be remembered that of this number there are cases of attrition and a high drop out rate each quarter because of a multitude of causes: famine, inability to stay current with expenses for school, lack of supplies and uniforms for school, and, on top of these factors, it must be remembered that these students are often maltreated by others at the school because of the discrimination.

Because of the marginalization, discrimination, extreme poverty that the Batwa live with; the Batwa children did not attend the school at the same rate/rhythm of the other Burundian children.

The Batwa are poor but they are always happy, they like to sing, to dance

Please always remember to pray for the Batwa.