The indigenous Batwa are the oldest people group in Burundi, comprising of 1% of the population.  Historically, the Batwa resided in ancient forests, living off the land’s resources. Mass deforestation reduced the Batwa’s territory and many have been evicted from their ancestral home. Without traditional means of self-sufficiency, and with limited access to formal education, they face poverty and systemic discrimination. Most Batwa do not have national identity cards.  In Burundi, without an ID, people cannot vote, pursue justice for crimes committed against them, own property, legally marry, seek formal employment, use public transportation, or reliably access healthcare and education.

One Day’s Wages partnered with African Road and its local partner ASSEJEBA, to equip Batwa people with ID cards that allow for protection, freedom, health care, and economic and social mobility. Through this collaboration 1,440 people were issued ID Kits that included ID cards, birth certificates and/or marriage certificates, as well as medical cards that provide health insurance coverage for all household members.  The project culminated in a village-wide civil marriage ceremony that legally recognized 150 couples’ marriages for the first time!