Batwa children studying in their school. photo: Christian Aid / Robert Abel
'The school has changed many things for the Batwa: it has transformed their negative perception of education into power and action.'

The Batwa people in Burundi - who comprise roughly 1% of the population - have been marginalised for years and deprived of their basic human rights – land, voting rights and education for their children. Discrimination and prejudice against them is rife.

Few Batwa children attend school as their parents cannot afford the fees, uniforms and books. They often need their children to work in order to help support the family.

Of the Batwa children who do attend schools, fewer than 2% finish. The reason for this is not just poverty; these children often suffer prejudice from others in the classroom.

Living without the right to vote and the right to land has impoverished the Batwa people. But, going without the right to education has further marginalised them.

Christian Aid partner, Christian Union for the Education and Development for the Underprivileged (UCEDD), has been assisting the Batwa for five years.

UCEDD first began helping the Batwa obtain land rights and start their own farms and to build their own schools.

In 2000, Christian Aid supported the construction of a primary school called the School of Hope in the Mutaho commune, near Gitega.

The original building comprised three classrooms and a headmaster’s room. A new classroom was completed in September 2004.

It has been a real community project, with the Batwa contributing labour and materials.

Innocent Kashomero Mawikizi, founder of UCEDD and Programme Coordinator, says ‘the school has changed many things for the Batwa: it has transformed their negative perception of education into power and action.’

This year, nearly 200 Batwa children aged between four and seven years attend the school. Classes are initially only for the Batwa, so that they can gain confidence in learning among themselves, and see the benefits of education.

Later the school will take enrolment from the whole community, which will help the Batwa to become more fully integrated into Burundian society.

Since 2003, UCEDD has been helping a total of 3,000 Batwa children to attend other schools by paying for fees, uniforms and books.

In order to fight for Batwa human rights, better acceptance, and put an end to discrimination, marginalisation, and oppression, education is the most efficient way to let them stand on their own feet in Burundian society.