Batwa Village in Rwanda

After crossing Lake Kivu, and ending up in the southwestern corner of Rwanda, we visited a Batwa village.

The Batwas, also known as Pygmies, have been indigenous to the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa for hundreds of years.  They are a minority group in Rwanda, often impoverished, and known for the clay pots they produce.

All of the villagers were welcoming, and curious about our presence.  The children were more than happy to pose for our cameras.

Batwa boy in blue.

Homes are made primarily of mud.

The village

A woman works on several clay pots in front of her home.

The village we visited had 24 adults, and 125 children.

The women take a lot of care in creating the rounded shape by hand.

Finished product: small handmade pots available for purchase. ($3-5 each)

It is not uncommon for young children to be seen carrying babies.

To learn more about their current situation, read The Batwa: Rwanda's Forgotten Minority.

Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.