The Batwa of Murangara protagonists of their own development

The Batwa community of Murangara, in the province of Kayanza, in Burundi, is an ethnic minority that lives in extreme poverty. Without cultivable land, they have great difficulty feeding themselves and the only resource they can rely on is terracotta. With clay, the Batwa carve vases to sell. Their only income comes from this trade, which they essentially use to buy food, and therefore survive. The alternative is to go and work in day where there are cultivable fields, in exchange for something to eat or a small sum of money. The precariousness and great vulnerability of these people can be seen above all in the appearance and health of children, affected by malnutrition. But something is starting to change. When an awareness meeting on community microcredit was organized within the project Si può fare! the entire community was intrigued and impressed. The prospect of being able to improve their living conditions has opened a small and new glimmer of hope. And many have decided to become protagonists of their own development path by creating a savings and microcredit group . It is not and will not be a path without difficulties, but they are not alone: they have on their side the constant accompaniment, monitoring and training of AMU and CASOBU (the local partner of the project). Bucumi, one of the women who decided to participate in the microcredit group, is aware of the concrete advantages that this adventure entails: “In this way we can improve our living conditions, because we can carry out activities through which we can have a small income”. With that small income the Batwa will buy food and take care of their children.