Kisoro is a district located in the far southwestern corner of Uganda. The size of a small U.S. county, Kisoro is home to over 250,000 people. Most of the people are Bafumbira, a group that came from Rwanda around 1900. Today, their language is different from Rwandan only in their accent.
The Kisoro landscape is lush, green and hilly, and is dominated by the beautiful Mufumbiro Mountains, which is made up of both dormant and active volcanoes. Most people are very poor and work in the fields for a living. Primary crops include Irish potatoes, beans, corn, and sorghum.
People in Kisoro often dress traditionally. Women often wear brightly colored skirts, wraps and headscarves.
Unlike most Ugandan people groups, people in Kisoro eat from a communal plate as a sign of love and unity. The patriarch of the family sits on a special stool; when he is away, his oldest present son is the one who sits on it.Even the elderly in Kisoro have always known peace in their area. Recent wars and genocides in Uganda and neighboring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo never extended into their district. The various people groups live in harmony with each other, and refugees are often welcomed from neighboring regions.
In Kisoro fathers tend to be as involved in the family as mothers.