Kristina Rudd ’ used an RCFIA grant to do research with the Batwa, a tribe of Pygmies who lost their way of life when Uganda created a national park. She is pictured, above, with Agatha Lubinga.
Expelled from Eden:The Plight of the Batwa , I traveled to southwestern Uganda to conduct research for my senior thesis. I spent two months with the Batwa, a tribe of Pygmies who were removed from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest when it was turned into a national park in .Their displacement cut them off from their traditional culture and resulted in their extreme impoverishment.This has led to inadequate and unequal access to health care, which is reflected in infant and child mortality rates up to four times higher than other ethnic groups in the same region. The case of the Batwa is particularly troubling to me because their impoverishment is the result of a well-intentioned and broadly supported conservation project. Under the rubric of sustainable development, multilateral and bilateral development and conservation organizations, such as the World Bank and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), provide funding for conservation projects such as these. My thesis challenges the image of national parks as romanticized enclaves for nature and discusses their negative ramifications for displaced indigenous groups. My research in Uganda included interviews with Batwa and non-Batwa community members, representatives from aid organizations working in the area, local politicians, government and private health care providers, and Ugandan experts in my field of study. My fieldwork made my senior thesis possible and has informed my understanding of global conservation policies. I hope to encourage discussion among the leaders of aid and conservation organizations about the ramifications of development projects and to affect future policy decisions. In part because of my work in Uganda, I have decided to pursue a career in international humanitarian aid and plan to attend medical school. I hope to work abroad, with communities like the Batwa, who have limited or no access to health care. — K R I S T I N A RU D D ’
I
N THE SUMMER OF
“While I was with the Batwa, I learned that poverty is not necessarily about having too little money, but more about having too few options.”