A Home Without Fear

November 2025 was an amazing month. Our founder and her husband made the trip for the 5th time to Kisoro. During that month the food forest produced its first harvest - women from the Mikiingo tribe took home food from the ground at Batwa Hope Village. The beans were thriving, the spinach was bountiful, strawberries were ready to eat. The homes created with Batwa hands, had stood empty for several months. We didn't know what was causing their fear of moving. As with every program, we needed to gain input from the tribe. We had asked guards to stay at the property so the food forest was protected as it grew. 4 Batwa men had been staying at the village for about a month. We were grateful for that. But, their wives had not joined them even though several homes could easily be ready for families to move in. After our food forest professional taught a class on food forest management, our founder asked one of the Batwa women to stay at the Village. She said she could not be the only woman there. So our founder asked another woman to stay as well. After assuring them both that food would be delivered to the site weekly, until the food forest can sustain them, they agreed to spend the night. PLANT FRUIT delivered mattresses, sheets and blankets for the families who would be moving in the next day. Walls were created to separate bedrooms and solitary light bulbs were installed in the small homes. Finally, the day came to move in. We were so excited to welcome the first inhabitants at Batwa Hope Village! With our support, Hope Village is a place where the Mikiingo can live without fear of eviction, fear of starvation, fear of their neighbors. It is a safe place to call home.

A young Batwa couple have just been told they will receive a home in Batwa Hope Village