Summary:
- The donations included maize flour, soap, money, clothes, and other items, which were mobilized by the Kanungu Young Generation with support from well-wishers on the birthday of David Danson Ayebazibwe, a student of Standard High School Zzana, Kampala.
KANUNGU: Ugandans have been encouraged to extend generous support to the poor, vulnerable, and elderly in their communities.
These remarks were made by Betty Mutabaazi Kataba, an aspiring Woman Member of Parliament for Kanungu District, during a handover ceremony of assorted items to the Kitariro Batwa Community in Buhamba village, Rutugunda Parish, Kirima Sub-County, Kanungu District.
The donations included maize flour, soap, money, clothes, and other items, which were mobilized by the Kanungu Young Generation with support from well-wishers on the birthday of David Danson Ayebazibwe, a student of Standard High School Zzana, Kampala.
Mutabaazi commended the youths, led by David Danson Ayebazibwe, for their initiative to give back to the community on his birthday, particularly reaching out to the marginalized Batwa community, whom she described as people in need of social welfare like any other Ugandans. She also donated bean seedlings to the Batwa to boost food production, pledging further support.
David Ayebazibwe, speaking at the event, noted that this was his third visit to the Batwa community in Kitariro, where he shares what little he has as a sign of love and compassion for a group often viewed as backward by other communities. He appealed to the government and NGOs to provide the Batwa with access to quality education, healthcare, and infrastructure services like other Ugandans.
Ayebazibwe explained that his friends, who gathered at Pathera Gardens in Kampala, raised funds to purchase the donated items, urging others to remember the less privileged.
Geoffrey Mahano, Chairman of the Kitariro Batwa Community, expressed gratitude to the youths for their generosity, noting that the donations would greatly benefit their families, who are vulnerable and marginalized.
However, he highlighted that the Batwa are often excluded from government poverty eradication programs, such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga programs.
Among the beneficiaries was 134-year-old Mzee Kafumbiri Niwagaba, whom the team visited at his home.
The Batwa in Kanungu District live in Kitariro, Kihembe, Kebiremu, and other areas, and are considered internally displaced persons and one of Uganda’s most marginalized Indigenous Minority Groups.
NGOs such as BMCT, Batwa Development Program, and the Diocese of Kinkizi have been working to improve their well-being, including supporting the education of Batwa children.
