Ugandans have been urged to generously support the poor, vulnerable, and elderly in their communities. This call was made by Betty Mutabaazi Kataba, an aspiring Kanungu District Woman Member of Parliament, while speaking as the guest of honor at a donation ceremony in Kitariro Batwa Community, Buhamba village, Rutugunda parish, Kirima Sub County, Kanungu District.
The event was organized in celebration of the birthday of David Danson Ayebazibwe, a student of Standard High School Zzana in Kampala. Ayebazibwe and his group, Kanungu Young Generation, with support from well-wishers, donated an assortment of items including maize flour, soap, money, clothes, and more to the marginalized Batwa community.
Betty Mutabaazi applauded Ayebazibwe and his peers for their initiative, especially for giving back to the Batwa on his birthday. “This act of kindness towards the Batwa, who are in great need of social support, is commendable,” she said. Mutabaazi also donated bean seedlings to the community to boost food production during the ongoing planting season, pledging further support to help uplift the Batwa’s welfare.
David Ayebazibwe, who was visiting the Batwa community for the third time, expressed his passion for helping the marginalized. “This is a small gesture of love and compassion to people who are often seen as backward by many communities,” he said. Ayebazibwe called on the government and NGOs to provide better access to quality education, healthcare, and infrastructure for the Batwa, urging others to remember the less privileged.
The Chairman of Kitariro Batwa Community, Geoffrey Mahano, expressed gratitude to the youths for their generosity. “These items will greatly help our families, who are often neglected and marginalized,” he said. However, he highlighted that the Batwa community is frequently excluded from government poverty eradication programs, such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga initiatives.
Among the beneficiaries was 134-year-old Mzee Kafumbiri Niwagaba, whom the team visited at his home, symbolizing the reach of their compassion to even the most elderly members of the community.
The Batwa in Kanungu District, residing in areas such as Kitariro, Kihembe, and Kebiremu, are among the most marginalized indigenous minority groups in Uganda, often described as internally displaced persons. Although some NGOs, including BMCT, the Batwa Development Program, and the Diocese of Kinkizi, have made efforts to improve their well-being through educational support and other initiatives, there is still a significant need for broader societal and governmental intervention.
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