Pygmies in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park
Even during colonial times, attempts were made to drive pygmies out of
their traditional habitat, the primary forest. Officially, they were relocated
from the forest in 1970, when the national park was founded. Even today
they feel as if it had happened only yesterday. They are longing for their
old home because they find it very difficult to get on in the world in
which they are now forced to live.
In this study, members of the Twa tribe are called "Mutwa" (singular)
and "Batwa" (plural). For the pygmies, "Mutwa" is
not derogatory. During a period of 80 days from 1 October 1995 to 28 February
1996, we visited 37 villages in the zones of Kabare, Kalehe, Bunyakiri
and Kalonge and interviewed the residents of 14 villages in the Kabare
and Kalehe zones, close to the park border. First, we started a group
discussion in the village centre and afterwards we met with those individuals
who had been mentioned to us as possible sources of information. Often
these were the village chiefs. We were able to talk to them in private,
as we frequently spent the night in their homes. Also, it is easier to
ask questions while sitting around the fire together.
Social and Cultural Life
Formerly, the Twa wanted to belong to the Bantu who were richer and more
educated and therefore they did not want to be called "Twa".
However, since President Mobutu declared them to be equal citizens of
Zaire, the Batwa of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park area have been proud
of their cultural identity. They also regard themselves as the original
inhabitants of the country. Only 19 Batwa live in Kalonge in more than
five Bantu villages. All other Batwa villages are separate from the Bantu
villages although they have the same names.
Most of the Batwa we interviewed were born in the forest, where they led
a nomadic life and practised hunting, gathering and counselling. When
they were nomadic, they built small, ephemeral round huts from branches
and leaves without windows. Some Batwa have started to imitate the mud
houses of the Bantu. About three quarters of these houses are leaking,
because they are not covered properly. The greatest problems in constructing
mud houses are that the Batwa usually do not own any property and that
the construction of those houses is expensive.
The village is the socio-economic unit for all Batwa. In general, it consists
of about ten houses with 20-30 people: closely related men with their
families, the parents of their wives and the husbands of their sisters.
The village chief is usually the oldest man of the clan and every visitor
to the village has to make a courtesy call to him.
Their position as outsiders welds the Batwa together. In the few villages
inhabited by Bantu and Batwa they form small, isolated subgroups in an
attempt to protect their cultural identity. In spite of this, the two
tribes usually live together in harmony. The Batwa speak the language
of the dominant local people.
Health
The establishment of the national park drove the Batwa out of the forest
and prevented them from hunting. They have been undernourished ever since.
We met several people who claimed not to have eaten any meat, fish or
other food rich in protein for more than a year.
Many diseases develop due to a lack of hygiene. Batwa never wash their
clothes and defecate in the bush or close to the village. They are afraid
that a member of the family will die if they dig a latrine. Intestinal
parasites, malaria, pneumonia, bronchitis and children's diseases are
very common.
For the Batwa, diseases can have natural or supernatural causes. They
treat them with traditional medicines made from leaves, bark, animal skin,
feathers and soil. Healers are usually males, whereas mostly women are
engaged in sorcery. Knowledge about traditional medicine is slowly decreasing
because the experts die and do not pass on their knowledge. In addition,
the drugs which were collected in the park are no longer available. Modern
drugs are now being offered to them, but the Batwa cannot afford them.
Our survey found that both the birth rate and mortality, especially among
children and young adults, have increased significantly.
Education
In the 14 villages studied, there were only ten people who had attended
primary school up to the fifth grade. Currently, not a single child is
attending school. One reason for this is the nomadic life style of the
Batwa: during hunting and gathering trips the children are taken out of
school for several months at a time. Other problems are the school fees
and the long distances.
Practically all Batwa at the Kahuzi-Biega National Park are illiterate.
Although literacy centres for Batwa exist, they are too far away.
Batwa Ceremonies
Batwa marry almost exclusively within their own people. The parents of
the bride receive a gift. Sometimes two families simply exchange daughters.
In most villages, girls get married when they are 14 years old and boys
when they are 17. Polygamy is widespread, but the man must be able to
afford it. Mixed marriages between Bantu men and Batwa women are tolerated,
but only poor Bantu marry pygmy women.
After a birth, feasts and other ceremonies are held. Men undergo initiation
rites which always take place outside the village. A death is always considered
to have a supernatural cause. After someone has died, Batwa usually move
their settlement. However, today this only happens when the village chief
has died because there is not enough space.
Status of the Batwa in Public Life
The Batwa's relationships with the authorities are difficult as can be
expected in the case of illiterates. In order to obtain an identity card,
a birth certificate is necessary which most Batwa do not possess, and
without these papers they cannot move freely.
The Batwa have always been in communication with the traditional authorities
of their surroundings. In the Kabare and Kalehe zones, the Batwa enthrone
the mwami (king). Therefore, among the Bushi people, Batwa are always
present in the king's court. However, these days the traditional chiefs
often terminate the partnership with the Batwa.
Socio-economic Situation
The biggest problem facing the Batwa is property rights: Usually they
do not own any land. Some buy a small patch and cultivate it in a traditonal
way, others lease the land for one season and give part of the harvest
to the owner.
The Batwa cultivate many different field crops: manioc, beans, maize,
potatoes, hemp etc. However, their families cannot survive on this alone,
because the harvests are rather small. The Batwa close to the Kahuzi-Biega
National Park cultivate mainly hemp which does not need much care. They
use most of it themselves and sell some of it to the Bantu.
In most villages close to the park border, Batwa work in agriculture for
the Bantu or as porters, as herders and in other physically demanding
jobs. The long separation from their home during seasonal work frequently
has a negative impact on their families.
Since the national park was founded, the Batwa living near the park no
longer hunt there regularly. Some of them hunt in secret by laying traps.
Today this has stopped almost completely, as Batwa are employed as trackers
and unskilled labour in the park. They still hunt moles, mice and wild
cats outside the park, but sell these only rarely.
In the Batwa villages, people usually manufacture their own commodity
articles. Some of them make pottery, others produce wickerwork, baskets,
oars and mortars. Often they cannot do these things any more, because
they need raw material from the park. Some of them obtain wood or other
materials secretly.
For about 10 years Batwa have been employed in the Kahuzi-Biega National
Park in considerable numbers. They work mainly as trackers but also on
road maintenance and in heavy labour. The Batwa who are employed in the
park integrate themselves slowly into the society. They are proud of their
work and arouse the envy of others.
Many Batwa consume a lot of alcohol: they spend three quarters of their
money on it.
Possibilities for Improvement
CEPZA, the Pentecostal Community of Zaire, is attempting to convert the
Batwa living near the Kahuzi-Biega National Park and to improve their
standard of living. CEPZA operates ten literacy centres, but none of them
is working. Moreover, the church distributed hoes and machetes for agriculture
without determining beforehand if the people concerned had fields. The
Batwa immediately sold all the hoes.
The GTZ project developed small projects in the Batwa villages of the
park border zone. Within the framework of these projects, tools for cultivation
and seeds were distributed. However, individual circumstances were not
taken into account, and therefore the projects were not very successful.
The PIDP (Programme d'Intégration et de Développement
du Peuple Pygmée au Kivu – Program for the Integration
and Development of the Pygmy People in Kivu) was represented in every
village covered in our study. It can realize its activities only to a
very limited extent because there is no money or material. It is an organisation
run purely by and for Batwa. Its support of agriculture and poultry farming
has had a few successes. UNICEF Bukavu enrolled 35 young Batwa in schools,
after the PIDP asked them to.
Suggestions to Support the Batwa
As the Batwa can be integrated into society through the introduction
of agriculture and livestock breeding, it is these areas where they have
to be supported initially. They should have the opportunity to cultivate
their own soil and they should be provided with tools and seeds. However,
they have to be sensitized for this kind of work and to be encouraged
continually. Latrines should be dug to improve hygiene. Education on nutrition
and child care is needed. Vaccinations could help to fight children's
diseases. Traditional medicine should be promoted.
To improve the standard of education, enrollment of children in primary
schools that are not more than 5 km away should be promoted. Sensitization
of the parents to the necessity of their children's schooling is required,
as is encouragement for the children. Teachers should be trained, literacy
centres should be built, teaching materials should be made available and
the Batwa adults should be sensitized to the importance of learning.
Craft work should be promoted and even more Batwa should be employed in
the GTZ project and in the park. The Batwa should be encouraged to build
houses like the Bantu if they no longer live as nomads.
For these endeavours to succeed, the Batwa first have to decide how they
envisage their future development. They alone should decide where their
future lies.
Kapupu Diwa Mutimanwa
Kapupu Diwa Mutimanwa studied the science of commerce and finances. Since 1992, he is the leading coordinator of the program for the integration and development of the pygmy people in Kivu and executive president of the réseau La Voix des Oubliés (indigenous people of the Great Lake region).
Photo: Armin Heymer
Hemp grown around Batwa huts