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Indigenizing Knowledge Systems through Batwa Youth Entrepreneurship: A Community-Driven Policy Strategy for Epistemic Justice and Livelihood Sustainability
Empowering Batwa youth entrepreneurship through Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) offers a transformative approach to achieving epistemic justice, sustainable livelihoods, and respectful economic participation for one of Uganda’s most historically marginalized groups. Based on participatory and ethnographic research in Batwa communities, the policy brief emphasizes revitalizing ancestral knowledge, including herbal medicine, agroecology, basketry, carving, beekeeping, and cultural performances, through youth-led initiatives that challenge exploitative development models. These efforts demonstrate a shift from dependence on aid to community-led innovation, positioning Batwa youth as key contributors to inclusive, culturally grounded economic futures. Data from surveys, life histories, and interviews show that elder–youth knowledge exchange remains systematically undervalued in formal policy contexts, perpetuating epistemic exclusion and weakening intergenerational resilience.
Instead of copying Western-centric models of vocational training and enterprise development, the policy brief promotes recognizing Indigenous epistemologies as valid, complex frameworks for policy design. Batwa youth entrepreneurship, grounded in relational ethics and ecological stewardship, provides a strong alternative for creating livelihoods that are both locally relevant and culturally meaningful. The main obstacle is institutional neglect, not a lack of capacity, as national policies on education and employment ignore Indigenous pedagogies, languages, and production methods. Solving these issues requires structural reforms to include Batwa IKS into vocational training, enterprise support, and regional value chains, hence promoting epistemic justice and supporting sustainable livelihoods.
Seven policy recommendations emerge from this evidence base: establishing community-designed resource hubs, safeguarding traditional land rights, implementing gender-sensitive mentorship programs, and creating participatory media platforms for advocacy and visibility. These initiatives aim to institutionalize Batwa agency, foster policy coherence across sectors, and elevate Indigenous entrepreneurship as a key part of inclusive development. Therefore, by recognizing Batwa youth as primary custodians of ancestral knowledge and innovators rooted in IKS, humanity can nurture a diverse economy that values variety, fairness, and ecological health. The brief policy emphasizes that respectful economic participation and intergenerational livelihood sustainability require not only policy inclusion but also a fundamental shift in development practices, centering Indigenous knowledge systems as vital assets in national transformation.
