Lake Bunyonyi - "Place of many little birds"
Lake Bunyonyi is located in southwestern Uganda, between greater Kabale and Kisora regions - a serene, beautiful, historic place comprised of 29 islands, formulated roughly 18,000 years ago by a volcanic eruption. It takes its name from the over 200 species of small birds that inhabit the area.
Lake Bunyonyi's 29 island communities have tilled the hills of this land with enduring strength and skills. Indigenous inhabitants, the present Bakiga and Batwa, lived sustainably as forest dwellers and hunter-gatherers for thousands of years - until over time a number of factors influenced change. High population growth, climate change, unsustainable agriculture practices, and change of land use patterns, have left the local, rural people increasingly vulnerable.
Wikepedia information
Lake Bunyonyi's 29 island communities have tilled the hills of this land with enduring strength and skills. Indigenous inhabitants, the present Bakiga and Batwa, lived sustainably as forest dwellers and hunter-gatherers for thousands of years - until over time a number of factors influenced change. High population growth, climate change, unsustainable agriculture practices, and change of land use patterns, have left the local, rural people increasingly vulnerable.
Wikepedia information
Google Earth view of BFFF within Lake Bunyonyi:
|
|
|
A glimpse of beautiful Lake Bunyonyi:
|
|
Brief history and current struggles of Indigenous Batwa Peoples
- the first inhabitants of Lake Bunyonyi region -:
- the first inhabitants of Lake Bunyonyi region -:
|
|
|
Bunyonyi Food Forest Foundation respects and acknowledges Batwa Indigenous Peoples, and commits to actions and relationships that promote Indigenous knowledge, truth & reconciliation, community collaboration, and resurgent connections to land, air, and water.
|
Batwa are known to be "the world's most marginalized people...They are among the world's shortest people in the world that favors height. They are among the darkest skinned people in a world that favors white and brown skinned people, and they are among the world's last nomads in a world that has such a settled society bias…" (Tomas Tumwesigye, cited in Henley & Tumwesigye, 2022 - Batwa: Exiles of the Impenetrable Forest, p. 24).
|
A rich history of Lake Bunyonyi with many stories, landmarks, and events:
|
Bunyonyi Food Forest member (Tyson Ndamwesiga) is born and raised on Lake Bunyonyi, and as a tour guide, he shares the history and stories of this region, including his desire to build bridges between Batwa and Bunyonyi Food Forest’s community. Tyson's grandmother (Mauda, currently over 100 years old) was the last women of this region to be left on 'Punishment Island' to die for being pregnant out of wedlock. BBC captured her story (see above).
|
|
Location of Bunyonyi Food Forest (BFF):
|
The site for Bunyonyi Food Forest is located on 3 acres of lakefront land on Lake Bunyonyi. The rural community that is directly involved in the work of BFFF reside within the surrounding Kashekye Village, Rubanda District, Hamuhambo Town Council.
|
|
|
Heavy rains, landslides, soil depletion, loss of dense forests, and current bare lands are increasingly common, leading to malnutrition, increased diseases, unsustainable agriculture, and damaged and depleting natural resources (Bakirya & Kagoma, BFF Fieldwork Report). Read more...
|
Bunyonyi Food Forest Foundation highlights Kashekye community’s decision to become a vibrant and food-sufficient region, able to support itself through food sovereignty, creativity, land-based education, and inter-gender-generational-nature-based relations.
