During a recent visit to Africa, VCI founder David Glenwinkel and Village Care board member Dave Steiner (the Davids) made a visit to Burundi to observe the amazing work of one our newest country initiatives is doing. Below is a report written by Jean-Baptise Sibomana, the Director of Village Care Initiatives - Burundi.
They arrived on 9th November 2011 and went straight to the hotel “Le Bouquet”.
The 10th of November 2011, we went to Kinama Commune ( Bujumbura Province, Buhinyuzacolline) in a farm where a number of widows were cultivating potatoes and other crops to support their children and some other orphans.
After that, we went to Gatumba village to see the orphanage where there are boys and girls living in that home supported by those women we saw farming. We gave them soccer balls. I will give them blankets on the 6th December 2011.
Then we went to the border of Burundi and DRC and stepped on the soil of DRCongo a bit.
We continued our visit to a group of women who do the grounding for cassava flour (the staple food here) to support their orphans.
We also went to visit a group of men and young men who are keeping goats and have been helping some orphans and people living with HIV AIDS. They are trying to use a place of hand washing. We want to see if we can introduce that to all villages for people to have a place for handwashing.
After lunch, we had a small meeting with the executive committee (the VCI Burundi Board), then started our long journey to Gitega province where the Davids saw their hotel rooms and visited JB’s home for dinner and the day was over.
The 11th of November 2011 was a busy day when we took an early breakfast and started a journey to Gikomero refugee camp (camp for displaced people) in Kayanza Province, Commune of Rango. After talking to them and looking at their farm, we headed to Buramyacolline.
Yes, we went to Buramyacolline (Rango Commune, Kayanza Province) where we visited men and women at work in a farm working, then got their story, then looked at their cattle, saw the crafts of other women of baskets and traditional plates, gave them balls and blankets for pictures. After that we walked to an indigenous group (group of Twas) where pots of clay, mats and baskets are being made to support orphans and widows.
After that we drove a very long distance going to Rutana province to meet the governor of Rutana but passing by JB’s home for lunch. We saw the governor who liked the work of VCI Burundi.
On our way back to Gitega we visited 3 groups of people working together to support their orphans: in Munyweroand Nyakiruri. It was dark by then and we had to rush going to Gitega to rest for that night.
The 12th November 2011, from 8 am to 10:30 am there is always community work where people clean where they live here in Burundi, that is the command of the government. After that, we visited one great group of widows who came up together to support their orphans, right in the center of Gitega town, in a place called Nyabugogo.
After that we drove to Bujumbura for the Davids to catch the airplane.
That is the summary of the short visit of the Davids. It was short but very important on our side so that the Davids can see what we are doing in Burundi as Village Care Initiatives-Burundi.
To God be all the glory for all the things that He has done and is doing in and through us!
On Behalf of Village Care Initiatives-Burundi
Pastor Jean-Baptiste Sibomana
VCI Burundi Director
