During the initial weeks, I visited six Batwa villages on the edge of Pendjua. At first, the people were afraid. After a few smiles and handshakes and the greeting "Mbote Bandeko" ("hello, my brothers and sisters"), all fear evaporated. Everyone talked at once. They spoke of their favorite activities, which were hunting and fishing. They showed me a small pig-raising project and a few fields cut from the forest. They started to raise chickens, but a viral disease had wiped them out. Two pigs already died of sleeping sickness.
As I thought about their needs, I made plans to start two fish ponds and stock them with a pan fish called Tilapia. I imagined we could grow rice in the swamps and plant peanuts and beans for protein sources. At present, people produced starchy foods such as manioc and sweet potatoes that are low in protein. I knew I needed to bring agriculture and nutrition education to the people. Without an improvement in these areas, the thousands of dollars spent on medications would be a waste.
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