The Batwa pygmies are the original inhabitants of the forest in Western Uganda. The Batwa had spent their whole lives in the forest, where they gathered and hunted. After eviction from their ancestral land, after more than 25 years, the Batwa people are still suffering with no land of their own but the church and non governmental organizations have come in to give a hand and bought land for settling on, though they are still squatters and casual labourers without land for farming and regular income hence limited access to education and healthcare. The community we visited called Mukingo Batwa.
As a documentary photographer, Janssen captures the moments he recognises in his fellow human beings, especially those elsewhere in the world. In everyday moments, he finds the same needs, insecurities or pleasures that all people enjoy in their lives - albeit to different degrees. In a world of polarisation and contrasts, sometimes even on one continent, Janssen settles geographical and symbolic boundaries by photographing people in a pure essence. He photographs the richness of our most basic human needs, like freedom, family and security - or, conversely, the absence of their obviousness.
