Hope for Us-Uganda will hold the Batwa Run on November 29 to raise more than Shs 200 million for a vocational school aimed at equipping the Batwa and neighbouring communities with practical skills for employment and self-reliance.
Hope for Us-Uganda is set to host the Batwa Run 2026 on November 29 at the Mayor’s Gardens in Kisoro Municipality to raise funds for a vocational school in Busaro Village, Chahi Sub-county, Kisoro District.
The school, estimated to cost more than Shs 200 million, is intended to equip members of the Batwa community and people from neighbouring communities with practical skills to improve their livelihoods and achieve economic self-reliance.
The run will be held under the theme “Run for Conservation, Inclusion and for Life”. Corporate participants will pay Shs 80,000 for running kits, while other participants will pay Shs 20,000, with proceeds going towards the school project.
The institution is expected to offer courses in computer skills, driving, tailoring, carpentry and joinery, and construction.
Javilla Nchunguyinka, the director of Hope for Us-Uganda, said the organisation initially focused on welfare support for the Batwa but had since shifted towards skills development to help the community become economically independent.
“Initially, we started by supporting the Batwa community through welfare activities, but we realised that it is also important to empower them with practical skills that can help them become self-reliant,” Nchunguyinka said.
He said the vocational institute would serve the Batwa and neighbouring communities by providing training in fields that could improve their employment prospects and enable them to start businesses.
Nchunguyinka said limited access to education, employment and economic opportunities remained major challenges for the Batwa, adding that vocational training could help learners secure jobs or establish their own enterprises.
“We want to equip the Batwa and people from neighbouring communities with practical skills that can help them get jobs or start their own businesses. Through this vocational institute, we believe that skills development will create more opportunities for young people,” he said.
The Batwa are among Uganda’s historically marginalised communities and continue to face social and economic challenges, including barriers to education and livelihood opportunities.
Organisers say the run is intended not only to mobilise funds for the vocational school but also to bring together the public, businesses and development partners to support community development, environmental conservation and social inclusion.