The aim of this venture is to facilitate a cultural exchange in Uganda between children in the Katanga slum, and the Batwa pigmy children. Both groups are marginalised and have limited access to health services or education. Music and dance will be used
to repair relationships and promote community pride.
Katanga
Katanga is a slum in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city. This no-man’s land, is occupied by a population of 25,000 of Uganda’s poor urban dwellers who inhabit 2,300 housing plots, without security of land tenure. Hear one resident's story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ELFj1CLbJw
Kabale
The Batwa pygmies are indigenous to Kabale. The Batwa community were forcefully evicted from the forests where they survived as hunter gatherers and were re-settled by the government. The births of Batwa are unrecorded and so with no legal status they have
limited rights to health and education services. In their settlement camps, they have been reduced to a tourist attraction.
Who Are We?
Jess Mowat and Greg Johnstone travelled to Uganda in 2014 and gained an insight into the plight of the Batwa pigmies who have been forced from the forests and resettled on the outskirts of communities.
They met some of the Batwa and felt the weight and sadness of their situation. In the capital, Kampala, they met Arthur Kisitu,
a local artist & photographer:
“During the last few years my art and documentary work has focussed mainly on the Katanga slum. I was a resident in the slum for four years.”
Arthur founded ‘Peace Matters’, a children’s art exchange project, which established a reciprocal connection between European and children from the Katanga slum based on the children’s innate creativity and curiosity: www.theportraithome.com
The Katanga-Kabale Dance Exchange is Arthur’s latest humanitarian venture.
With your support, this program will facilitate the first official Katanga-Kabale dance exchange festival. Children from Kabale will visit their Katanga counterparts for a one week inter-cultural dance exchange, in support of both marginalised communities. Thereafter
the Katanga children will also travel to Kabale on a return dance exchange visit.
Regular updates will be posted at "Katanga A work-In Progress" Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/145603845491566/
We see a shared passion for dance as an opportunity to bridge the communities, forge relationships and promote community pride.
The dance exchange is not possible without funding. We hope you consider supporting us.
*** $30 will buy 20 drumsticks
*** $40 will buy 2 hand-string instruments
*** $50 food & accommodation for 1 week for 20 children
Please share our campaign with family and friends and your social media network.
Thank you!
