The construction of the Gahinga Batwa Village started in the fall of 2017 and the funding from the ATCF will contribute towards the permanent settlement for the Gahinga community of Batwa pygmies, a group of about 100 adults and children.

The Batwa were displaced from their ancestral homeland in Mgahinga twenty five years ago and have been living as marginalised landless squatters since then.

The Gahinga Batwa Village will have homes for the Batwa Community, areas for cultivation, recreation and a community centre. The Batwa will move to the village in Spring 2018.

VSPT has purchased land for the building of the village and made available materials for the Batwa to build their own homes. Since 2013, VSPT has set up a series of projects to support the livelihood of the Batwa community through tourism related enterprises and to help preserve their culture and heritage.