Surviving Displacement

By Mabel Senaa

An aerial view of the Bambuti camp in North-Kivu, Congo gives a serene ambience with a sense of closeness to the earth and communal coexistence. Despite the semblance of simplicity, the experience of the people in the camp is a far cry from simple and closer to a state of impoverishment. Poverty oozes from the living conditions of the people, not limited to lack of money but extended to include lack of education, food shortages and poor nutrition, lack of health facilities and lack of information thus reducing their livelihood capacities. A lingering question then is: are the Bambuti aware of a better condition of living? How willing are they to accept interventions to improve their living standards?

Before the war (1996-2003) the people lived in the forest, a life which offered them the resources they needed to survive. The onset of war caused a displacement from their historic and original home forcing them to live in close proximity to the Bantu who see them as labourers causing a discrimination so severe that the Bambuti are not allowed to share the same water bodies with the Bantu.  

Wherever there is a hierarchy of humans where one group is considered superior, the minority group has no or limited access to resources. And in the minority group, the men control the already limited resources available. The case of the Bambuti and Bantu is a miniature of the world in general; divisions on the basis of religion, ethnicity, sex, race, geographical location have resulted in discrimination and in worse cases war. Whenever there is war people suffer, and women suffer greatly. Where there is discrimination and war, sexual exploitation also adds on to the grimness of the situation.

The displacement of the Bambuti in Kivu is a result of the war, which was not triggered nor fought by women. Women suffer the burdens of these violations of human rights more than men though. For instance, when the Bantu impregnate the Bambuti women, or in worse cases a Bambuti girl, they refuse to accept the pregnancy. A thought-provoking question is: can a Bambuti man court a Bantu woman or exploit a Bantu girl? To refuse the responsibility of such a pregnancy puts the life of the already marginalised Bambuti female in dire circumstances, not only trying to fend for herself and her family, but also being a single mother.

The impact of war on women may be seen in other areas around the world. In Bimbilla, a town in Northern Ghana, the residues of the Konkomba-Nanumba war in the late 80s and early 90s are still present in interactions between the two major ethnic groups in the area, Konkombas and Nanumbas. Even though unspoken, a Nanumba marrying a Konkomba is a cultural transgression, and in both ethnic groups the woman is ridiculed and discriminated against more than the man. 

The resulting circumstances of poverty, lack of education, poor nutrition, lack of information, and inadequate access to health, is more severe among women. The risk of child and maternal mortality is significantly increased in areas of inadequate access to health facilities like in the case of Bambuti camp and also in several communities in Northern Region where access to health facilities are limited.

Women do not only carry pregnancies and give birth, they also play a crucial role in nurturing children. This nurturing includes but is not limited to: nutrition, personal development, education and socialisation. With the Bambuti, women are responsible for water sanitation and hygiene.  Limited access to potable water means women spend more time away from the village, getting water home and this makes them more vulnerable.

Where there is a lack of basic social amenities the cycle of poverty continues, resulting in generational poverty. Returning to the Konkomba-Namunba war, numerous interventions have resulted in increased access to education, yet girls have the lowest rate of enrolment and retention in school due to teenage pregnancy and rural-urban migration. Young girls migrate to the big cities like Accra, Kumasi and Tamale to work as head porters, many of them get pregnant whilst in their early teens returning home without the resources or skills to provide good living conditions for themselves and their children, consequently resulting in a never-ending cycle of impoverishment.

Despite the crude living conditions of the Bambuti, they still find a reason to be happy. But as a woman who understands how pain and suffering can be hidden with a smile, there is an urgency to see beyond dancing and drumming. To look at the people and ask how we can improve their living conditions? How can a mutually beneficial social integration between the Bambuti and Bantu be realized without creating further division and dependency? Would a sustainable resettlement plan be the ideal solution for the Bambuti?

About the author

Mabel Senaa Bonsuuri is a development change agent, a community developer, and a firm believer of art being a tool of communication in solving societal issues. A graduate of the University of Reading, UK  and Co-founder of iHelp Africa, she holds a Master of Science in International Development(Development policy and planning) and a Bachelor of Science in Development Management from the University of Development Studies, Ghana. Team lead and advisor to the artist director of Nuku Studio, Mabel is currently working with young girls in rural communities in the Volta Region of Ghana on a project ONE GIRL ONE BOX that addresses issues of period poverty.

References

1. Pul A.S.H (2003). Exclusive, Association and Violence: Trends and Triggers in Northern Ghama’s Konkomba-Dagomba Wars. The African Anthropologist, Vol 10, No. 1.

2. Gibbons A. (2009).A short history of African Pygmies: Diverse people inherited their stature from the same recent ancestors.Online available at https://www.science.org/content/article/short-history-african-pygmies

3. Debrah M., Alidu S., and Owusu-Mensah I. (2016) The cost of inter-ethnic conflicts in Ghana’s Northern region; The case of the Nawuri-Gonja conflicts.  Journal of African conflicts and peace studies,Vol.3:Iss. 1