This is the lot of Uganda’s BaTwa people, which according to Goulburn’s Reverend Roger Ellem, are at risk of extinction.

The Anglican Minister, who has spent a “lifetime in inter-country development,” has for several years been visiting the southern Ugandan city of Kisoro, where the BaTwa live. In partnership with that city’s Anglican diocese, he’s been striking up links to help lift people out of poverty. 

Their plight struck such a chord that at the most recent council meeting he asked that Goulburn Mulwaree establish a Friendship City with Kisoro. Councillors unanimously endorsed the move.

Reverend Ellem explained the agreement did not involve any funding obligation but would be of mutual benefit. It validated his and other community groups’ efforts to improve the Batwa’s living conditions.

“It gives more gravitas,” he said.

“...Over there it says we’ve been noticed, heard and seen and what’s happening to people in this place and that it matters not just to us but to others.”

The relationship, which differs in formality to a Sister City agreement, could also generate council, school, TAFE teacher, service club and church exchanges.

Reverend Ellem worked with a non-government organisation involved in child support for more than 30 years. In the past 10 years he became aware of the BaTwa, occupying an area of Kisoro.

He describes them as the “collateral damage” of the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis.

“They suffered horrifically,” he said.

But they were marginalised even further when the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo created vast national parks to preserve the silver-backed gorilla. It was also seen as a boon for tourism but in the process, forced the BaTwa people out of the jungle, leaving them homeless. 

“So the quest to save the gorillas put the BaTwa on the path to extinction,” Reverend Ellem said.

“In some parts of that area, the BaTwa are not considered to be people, they’re considered less than human which means they’re treated appallingly….How they survive and what they’re surviving on just breaks your heart.”

During his visits he sees children not permitted to go to school, begging, stealing, prostitution and people living in ‘houses’ made of makeshift materials.

Families cannot afford soap and are judged dirty and smelly.

“Their speech is affected by their accents so they talk ever so slightly differently to the Hutu populace, enough for prejudice to do its miserable work,” Reverend Ellem wrote to the council.

“Their poverty makes school attendance a chore so it is easier not to attend. The home environment, with substance abuse and violence, add to the toxic mix.” 

But he, along with the local Church of Uganda diocese, are trying to make a difference.

It involves creating educational and training opportunities and pathways to sustainable economic and social improvement. The Diocese runs a vocational training centre and is working to address mental health and substance abuse issues. It is also trying to place BaTwa children in boarding schools.

In addition, teams from Goulburn and the Southern Highlands including doctors, nurses, teachers, business people and preachers have visited Kisoro. The Goulburn Mothers Union has helped raise money for BaTwa women to establish a business, selling their distinctive paper-bead jewellery. The jewellery is also sold at Goulburn markets. 

Reverend Ellem is visiting Kisoro in February and leading another local delegation in July.

“It’s about a hand up, not a hand out. We’re creating income streams to enable them to stand on their own two feet with dignity. It’s gained by their own efforts, not given to them or contrived for them,” he said.

Cr Peter Walker said Australia was the lucky country and people cared.

“I do think we have the ability to support these things,” he said.

“Having these friendship agreements is very different to a sister city arrangement...We have very generous volunteers in our community and I think we need to support this.”

Mayor Bob Kirk said he wrote to the Mayor of Kisoro in July, introducing Reverend Ellem and had received a warm reply.