On the way back, out of the forest, I found the two boys, standing across from a woman carrying a bundle of firewood on her head. With a raised voice, she spoke at them as they stood quietly, eyes down. Despite not understanding their language, I knew a mother putting her sons in order. In the mix was a man, chiming in. As I stood by wondering what the boys’ crime was, the man approached, asking if I was lost and needed direction. Thankfully, he could speak some English. I informed him I wasn’t, and inquired what the boys had done for I had earlier seen them in the forest.

The mother was reprimanding them for going into the forest again which was prohibited without the wild authority officers permission . I came to know they were part of the Batwa, who in the 1990s were evicted from the forest that has since become a tourist destination. You’d expect such a tourism boost to benefit the community around but the Batwa have been kept on the sidelines, with little to no access to the forest that was their home for centuries. The boys had never been to school, the mother needed permission to access the forest for firewood, year in year out, thousands of tourists from around the world visit Bwindi, many lodges have been set up and the Batwa still have nothing.

I asked myself how my stay at Bwindi could benefit Mugisa and Nguru. How could they partake in tourism without simply being part of the attractions? What if they could be trained and employed, allow us the privilege of learning about their culture while we support their way of life through reforestation, and ensuring eco-luxury to conserve the forest for us all. I imagined a place where all this could be possible; tourism, private luxury, community development and conservation. That place is The Mistwood Villa.