Batwa Identity Cards, Burundi

The indigenous Batwa of Burundi comprise less than 1% of the population of this East African nation. Traditionally dwelling in the forest, they are known as the pot makers, dancers, and musicians who live off the land. Many have now been displaced from their ancestral land and rely on agriculture to survive. ASSEJEBA, a Burundian Batwa-led organisation working in partnership with US non-profit, African Road, have worked with communities to provide formal identification kits, establishing them as citizens of their nation, and giving them access to birth certificates, access to healthcare and education, the ability to travel without harassment or prejudice, and the right to vote.