In times past, the indigenous Batwa pygmies used Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable forest as their home; immediate source of firewood, medicinal herbs, and food such as fruits, mushrooms, honey, edible plants, and even hunting of certain species. However after the park was gazetted for the protection of endangered mountain gorillas in 1991, these indigenous people lost access rights to the forest. Now, they live on adjacent lands that were previously deforested. However, since 2014, Redemption Song Foundation, a community-based organization registered in Kanungu District has been empowering the landless Batwa pygmies in Buhoma village adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to adapt to the new environment. This Big Gorilla Story was made in partnership with Redemption Song Foundation
Gorilla Conservation through Journalism.
