The story of Old Man Gihanga and his three sons, Gatwa, Gatutsi, and Gahutu

A fascinating tale that explains the origins of different roles within the community. Gihanga, known as “the creator,” tested his sons by giving them full milk gourds to see how they would utilize their talents. Gatwa consumed all his milk and was given hunting tools and the forest to become a hunter. Gahutu drank half of his milk and was given a hoe to carry out digging. Gatutsi retained all his milk and was bequeathed with herds of cattle to become a herdsman

The Batwa people’s lives changed dramatically in the 1990s when the forests were gazetted into National Parks for the conservation of Mountain gorillas bwindiimpenetrablenationalparkuganda.com The resources they once relied on, such as bush meat, mushrooms, honey, and herbs, were no longer accessible. This led to the Batwa becoming squatters on other community land, working for food only.

Today the Batwa are marginalized and undermined, while the Bahutu are farmers and the Batutsi are cattle keepers. This story reflects the way of life of people living near conservation areas and highlights the challenges faced by the Batwa community