Current + Upcoming Projects
FEED THE BATWA, ISOLATED FAMILIES AND CHILDREN DURING FUTURE PANDEMIC SHUTDOWNS
Our support for the Bwindi school children began during our visit to Uganda during the summer of 2019. When we were provided the opportunity to trek to be among the mountain gorillas we were also invited to visit and learn of the mission of a school located in Bwindi.
During the global lockdown of travel, beginning in March of 2020, we focused upon the need to provide high-protein food, soap and medical supplies to the orphan children, teachers, porters, guides and others. The majority of our financial support and effort has been directed to Bwindi, Uganda and we have also supported other global efforts led by groups such as the National Geographic Society, Lindblad Expeditions, Natural Habitat Adventures’ Community Relief fund, The Ellen Fund, WWF Relief, The Partners Nepal and others. In addition, we have supported local, state and national efforts within the USA.
We are grateful and very fortunate to be able to travel and spend time with many local people throughout the world. In many small villages and communities, we are able to spend time with teachers and students in local schools. As a result of ongoing communication we quickly became aware of the extreme hardships and challenges being faced on a daily basis by the children and families who are dependent upon the economic benefits of tourism. We also communicate with porters, guides and others who were suddenly unable to work because of the shutdown. Local leaders provided first-hand insight into how the global shut-down of travel resulted in an immediate and severe shortage of food and basic supplies in these remote villages.
We shifted our vision, for the future, to an immediate need to “feed the children”! We made a choice to re-allocate our 2020 and 2021 travel funds to purchase foods such as beans, corn maize flour and rice and also items such as soap and other supplies. Again, local people have been vital to the successful purchase and distribution of the food and other items. We were able to make several donations and distributions in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
When a shutdown is declared, in Uganda, and other countries, almost all roads and systems of regular transportation are closed. During such times other means of obtaining food and supplies must be found. To get food distributed to the Batwa and the families of orphans who live far away from the school, many people volunteered to trek the narrow trails and carry the food and supplies to their remote homes.
In 2020 we were unable to identify a USA based charity that was able to directly support our targeted INTERNATIONAL philanthropic goals and objectives. As a result, we spent much of our “Covid lockdown” time going through the legal and governmental process of re-establishing our family foundation. We pay for all legal and accounting fees and costs of the foundation. This allows all donations to support the intended projects.
As we begin the summer of 2022 we are being encouraged by local leaders to consider how to proactively support local people, such as the Batwa families in Uganda, to become more self-sufficient during future global pandemics and or unexpected crises.
Our GOAL ONE = Batwa Farms initiative is one example of our attempt to be proactive. We are reallocating our own resources in order to provide a higher priority for this project goal.
We hope that we can help everyone to think about the importance of sustaining and supporting the local people in Bwindi and families throughout the world, whom we consider to be vital to global conservation and ecological health efforts. We believe that during times of pandemic caused shutdowns it is vital that we take action and feed the children! This is the best way to demonstrate to everyone in rural and isolated villages that we care as much about the children, the teachers and the families as we do about the mountain gorillas, the bamboo rainforest and wildlife throughout the world.. We can’t feed everyone but feed as many as possible. We are trying our best to walk the talk!
We will take small steps to give the children a better future!