NAYD BURUNDI

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Burundi Bwacu
Burundi Buhire
Shinga icumu mu mashinga
Gaba intahe y'ubugabo kubugingo.
Warapfunywe ntiwapfuye,
Warahabishijwe ntiwahababukwa.
Uhagurukana Uhagurukana Uhagurukana ubugabo urikukira,
Ukomerwa amashi n'amakungu,
Uhabw ' impundu n'abawe
Isamirane mu mashinga Isamirane mu mashinga.
Burundi bwacu ragi ry'abasokuru
Ramutswa intahe n'ibihugu
Ufatanije ishaka n'ubuhizi.
Vuza impundu
Wiganzuye uwakuganza Wiganzuye uwakuganza.
Burundi bwacu,
Nkora mutima kuri twese
Tugutuye amaboko, umutima n'ubuzima
Imana yakuduhaye ikudutungire.
Horana ubumwe n'abagabo n'itekane.
Sagwa n'urweze
Sagwa n'amahoro meza

Cher Burundi, ô doux pays,
Prends place dans le concert des nations.
En tout bien, tout honneur, accédé à l'indépendance.
Mutilé et meurtri, tu es demeuré maître de toi-même.
L'heure venue, t'es levé
Et fièrement tu t'es hissé au rang des peuples libres.
Reçois donc le compliment des nations,
Agrée l'hommage de tes enfants.
Qu'à travers l'univers retentisse ton nom.
Cher Burundi, héritage sacré de nos aïeux,
Reconnu digne de te gouverner
Au courage tu allies le sentiment de l'honneur.
Chante la gloire de ta liberté reconquise.
Cher Burundi, digne objet de notre plus tendre amour,
A ton noble service nous vouons nos bras, nos cœurs et nos vies.
Veuille Dieu, qui nous a fait don de toi, te conserver à notre vénération.
Sous l'egide de l'Unité,
Dans la paix, la joie et la prospérité.

Burundian Youths Towards Peace Building - Gorgon Sabushimike, Bujumbura
Believe it or not, it has happened in my home country which is Burundi. Burundi, which is currently part of the East African community and great lakes areas, has suffered from an ongoing political crisis lasting around 12 years. The outset of the conflicts is the assassination of the first democratically elected president from the Hutu ethnic group in 1993. The conflict has been fuelled by some of the political leaders interested in benefiting from the turmoil. To reach their ends, the political leaders used youths to kill each other and plunder - hence destroy the country and the future of the youths; many of them have been affected by psychological problems. The losers are the youths while the victors are the politicians. More

NAYD Burundi team
Lyse IRADUKUNDA as country coordinator: Armand NSHARIZA as chargé de programme: Onsphore NGANYIRIMANA: Aline NIYONKURU as secretaire: Ininahazwe BORIS as commissaire aux comptes: Hyacinthe GIRUMUGISHA for relations.

De Burundi
Le Burundi est l’un des pays de l’Afrique centrale.
Le Burundi vient de sortir fraichement d’une guerre qui a durée plus de10 ans; une guerre surnommée ethnique qui a fait beaucoup de pertes à la nation Burundaise.
Les jeunes n’ont pas été épargnées de cette sale guerre; ont été aussi manipulée par les politiciens.
Actuellement c’est l’heure de reconstruction,de reconsiliation et de bonne gouvernance et il ne peut y avoir un dévéloppement durable sans implication de la jeunesse.
Les jeunes se mobilisent ici et là dans differntes organisations locales pour voir comment ils peuvent contribuer au dévéloppement et à la reconstruction du Burundi.
Lyse IRADUKUNDA;fondactrice Nayd Burundi; juge bon de connecter les jeunes leaders burundais à d’autres jeunes africains déjà engagés pour le dévéloppement de l’Afrique.
J’exprime ici mes motivations:
J’ai decouvert Nayd à travers internet.Je tavaille souvent sur l’internet et je cherche des occasions qui pourront aider les jeunes leaders burundais à être connecté à d’autres leaders burundais qui travaillent jour et nuit pour le dévéloppement durable de l’Afrique.
Ainsi ,j’ai découvert Nayd et J’ai jugé bon d’en créer une branche ici chez nous pour que nous aussi on soit impliqué dans ce mouvement de dévéloppement pour l’Afrique

Objectifs Nayd Burundi
1. Interesser et impliquer les jeunes leaders burundais au dévéloppement de l’Afrique en général.
2. Faire conaitres aux associations locales les differentes opportunités exploitables à travert Nyad.
3.Renforcement des capacités des associations locales des jeunes.
4.Former les leaders des Associations des jeunes en matière d’élaboration, d’éxécution,d’evaluation des projets.
5.Connecter les Associations des jeunes aux bailleurs qui se présenteront à travers Nayd.
6.Aider les associations des jeunes burundais à trouver des finacements de leur projets à travers Nayd.
7.Par different programme du Nyad; amener les jeunes burundais à travailler en sinergie avec d’autres jeunes africains au dévéloppement de ‘Afrique.
8.Enfin; créer un inforum burundi,avec connection internet;où les associations des jeunes pourront acceder à l’internet facilement,
Pourrons être formés en différents programmes qui pourront renforcer leurs capacité à fin que les jeunes burundais soient capable de contribuer au développement de l’Afrique
9) En fin, ensemble Nayd Afrique pourra atteindre ses objectifs

To be young does that mean to be slaves of adults? - by Lyse IRADUKUNDA
In our country where the daily income is meagre and much lower than the effort produced many of the workers are young people.
But, how can it be that they languish in poverty despite all their hard work? To answer this our colleague Lyse has gone to different services and interviewed some young people.

Lyse: can you introduce yourself?

Ernest: I am Ernest HAKIZIMANA, and I am a joiner.

Lyse: you say that you are a joiner; is the workshop yours?

Ernest: do you think that with my age I can yet get means to start a workshop? I'm simply in my boss’s service who pays me at the end of the month.

Lyse: and as you say that he pays; do you consider your salary proportional if you take into consideration your daily effort?

Ernest: not at all. Imagine that I start working early morning to finish at the night the salary is very low if you consider the effort we make.

Lyse: I meet you coming from your job. What do you do in your life?

Prosper: Me? I am a joiner and I work in a workshop of my boss.

Lyse: finally all the young joiners work for their bosses. Don't they?

Prosper: but of course. We young people are obliged to work for those adults.

Lyse: you mean that if you can get financial means you should start with your proper workshops?

Prosper: yes; the problem which should remain will be is to get customers. I say that because adult are not opened to us in terms of deals.

Lyse: what do you then ask to the government?

Prosper: There must be a law on payment comparatively to the work done in every domain not only in joiner’s workshop.

Young people then suffer from difficulties in the area of promotion and above all knowing that it is them who produce the most if we take into consideration their strength and their will to work. The problem which remains is that they are still dependant to their elders and they are the later who have financial means.

Building new Campus : a very good promise - by Lyse IRADUKUNDA
For the first time in its history, the government of Burundi has decided to put education on its list of priorities. Tthe first thing it declared is that pupils at primary schools will no more pay school fees, and now the President NKURUNZIZA declared the government project to build two new campus in inland provinces. Even though problems are still many, it is however a good promise as for as universities are concerned. That is why an interview has been held between Lyse and Jean Claude, Louise ( students at University of Burundi) and Mary a pupil at Rohero Lycée.

Lyse : For about 2 years President Peter NKURUNZIZA has been leading the country. In his first speech as President, he declared school fees at Primary school should be paid. What has been your assessment ?

Louise : Apart from that we realized some difficulties the government had at the beginning, and it is understandable because it is for the first time the government adopts such a practice, our assessment is positive : Now, at primary school the number of pupils has increased that is to say that in last years the majority if not all Burundian children will be at school.

Lyse : and now the President has declared that two campus are going to be built in order to extend the public university of Burundi. What do you say about this?

J. Claude : First of all, that is a good thing because since the University of Burundi has been created, the government had not acted as such so that students haven't stopped to increase in number. If then this is done, it will be a step to get a sufficient number of intellectuals properly taught to be civil servants. This also encourages those who are still at the inferior level, in primary and secondary schools.

Lyse : Do you think that the big number of students in campus is a cause of failure ?

J. Claude : But, yes, of course. For example, if studying halls are full of students, there are some who catch nothing there is also the problem of correction of copies because they are in such a big number and for that reason success is limited for some student.

Lyse : Do you find any other advantages in that decision taken ?

J. Claude : There are many, but the one that I can emphasis on here is that campus we had before are agglomerated in Bujumbura city and one in the second city, in Gitega province. If those ones are built in farther province from Bujumbura we will be developing inland provinces Instead of Bujumbura and Gitega only. I think this is a much better consequence.

Lyse: What is your suggestion this ?

Louise : To build new campus is good but it would be better to think of creation of new faculties or departments relative to modern life too. For example, a branch of computer sciences which which until today is not taught at the university of Burundi. We can find such sciences in Private Universities. My personal recommendation is that it continues to think to create other campus because we are far away compared to universities in other countries.

Life of orphans in Burundi - by Lyse IRADUKUNDA
The war which lasted more than 10 years and HIV/AIDS are the major causes of orphans in Burundi. Many children have lost their parents after the 1993 crisis, an ethnic crisis in which many tutsi have been killed. Othe children are made orphans by HIV/AIDS and most are HIV positive. Despite the existence of orphanages, children are yet really satisfied. They say that nothing can replace their parents. Anniella and Kessy are two children living in orphanage. The following is their opinion about their life in orphanage:

Lyse: aniella, when did you start living in orphanage?

Aniella: I was received here in 1993 when the crisis started in Burundi. I was five while I am now nineteen years old.

Lyse: have you gone to school?

Aniella: yes of course and I thank my lord just because many children didn’t continue their studies after their parents death.

Lyse: and what is life in orphanage alike?

Aniella: not too bad. We are fed, educated and given a job when we finish our studies. We thank all those who are helping us.

Lyse: I heard that many orphanages are planning to send back many children to their families of origin and help them there. What do you think of this?

Aniella: this will be a very good idea if really orphanages are planning to help us in our respective families. In fact as you know it, many families cannot receive extra children because they live in extreme poverty. Sometimes, it is worth living in orphanage than in family. However, it is also good to regain our families of origin because will be able to secure our inheritance.

Lyse: what do you wish to have in your life?

Aniella: I wish to have my own family , children and a good job.

Speaking of kessy, he is a hiv positif orphan. His parents died when she was 7 and now his 13.

Lyse: kessy, when did you lose your parents?

Kessy: I don’t remember exactly but…I probably was 7 years old.

Lyse: what happened here?

Kessy: the FVS which as you know is engaged in the fight of AIDS and an association which helps children victims of AIDS accepted to receive we and my 2 brothers after an investigation they conducted to be sure that we were victims of AIDS.

Lyse: do you continue stadying?

Kessy: yes I continue my studies but I don’t know whether I will come to the end because I am not in good health.

Lyse: there many children around you. How do you feel?

Kessy: I feel okay, but I always regret when I remember that I am hiv positive.

Lyse: do you easily get medicines?

Kessy: not yet, but every hiv positive child will start taking medicines next year on.

Lyse: what kind of message do you have towards parents throughout the world?

Kessy: I advise them to make an hiv test before they think of having a baby. To those who are infected, I advise them to take medecines and protect their children.

Aline NDEMEYE is a supervisor in F.V.S and she confirms that their task is not so easy: “I could say that it is not easy to educate chidren from different age categories. We do our best but sometimes the outcome is not satisfying. We in addition have the problem of founds and it is sometimes difficult to find backers to help us satisfy needs of our children. We are now planning to send back children in their families of origin and help them there.

It is worth mentioning that a good number of orphans are still homeless and that even orphanages are not ready to receive them.

Internet: a traning and communication tool, but unfortunately inaccessible for more than 60% of burundian youth - by Lyse IRADUKUNDA
The internet is a training and ,communication tool used by young and adult people - access to the internet allows you to receive emails, participate directly in forums and apply for a job. Many Burundian young people need the internet to read and send messages. Unfortunately it isn't possible necause many of them are poor. In Burundi, an hour on the internet costs $1, a price which much Burundians cannot afford. Raoul and liliane are two young people who frequently visit the internet. The following is their opinion:

Raoul: I like internet very much. I could even consider it as an opinum for me. When I am before a computer, I never think of going away. With internet, I casily communicate with my friends, read information, find job opportunities, compete with the whole woorld to name but a few. But the internet is very expensive and this prevents me from having enough time on it. If prices could be reduced, I think this could reduce delinquency in Burundi but unfortunately there are many who don’t know how to use the internet. As far as Liliane is concerned, she is lucky enough because she is a civil servant and is able to obtain many opportunities from the internet: 'I can never go 2 days without visiting internet. Because it is very expensive it means I allocate a big party of my salary on it. Through the internet I have found many job opportunities and participated in nternational meetings. I wish that internet prices could be reduced in order to help young people have easy acces to it.'

Other young people accept to be employed as voluntary worker by tropicana internet house. they explain their motivations:
Claude: 'I work voluntarily for a internet house and I have in turn free acces during my working time. Before I was bored staying at home unemployed but now I am happy that I work and have access to the internet. I consider I am paid because I get many opportunities such as finding out about jobs and participating in competitions which I sometimes win.' According to the person in charge of tropicana internet house, he encourages young people to work voluntarily and have free acces to internet.

It is worth mentioning that the situation is catastrophic in the upcountry for pupils finish secondary school without touching a computer, let alone internet. If internet could be made accessible and affordable, this would enable burundian young people to ameliorate their knowledge and this reduce delinquency cases.

Young people and condoms: abstinence or use of condoms against HIV/AIDS? - by Lyse IRADUKUNDA
AIDS is a sexually transmissible disease. Yet, there are some other ways of contamination such as blood transfusion, from the mother to baby, to name but a few. Sexual contamination is the most frequent and remains up.to.now the main cause of the increasing number of HIV-positive cases. AIDS kills children, teenagers, fathers and mothers in different families and this way ravages poor countries. Burundi is one of those countries devastated by HIV virus and always calls upon the international community to help prevent AIDS and assist the already infected people. However, cases of newly infected people increase day after day and many children are victims of this situation. When HIV is signaled in a given family, it is a fright, desperation and imbalance for parents and catastrophic for children who are forced to become orphans. AIDS is one of the major factors which increase the number of homeless children. This is due to the fact that parents once infected can no more work for the future of their children.

AIDS is incurable, medicine are very expensive and special nutrition is required a situation which is very difficult if not impossible to solve out given the living conditions in poor countries. This paradoxically produces no fear towards young people who are the most infected compared to adults. As a matter of fact, young people continue to behave sexually irresponsible instead of facing the danger.
Condom is the one of the means of AIDS prevention that organizations engaged in the fight against AIDS put at people’s disposal. However, conducted researches have proven that efficiency of this type of prevention leaves a lot to be desired. Which can we say between condom and abstinence is more appropriate than the other?

Joel and Rene are two young people interviewed about this subject. The following is their opinion:
“ My name is Joel; I campaign against the use of condoms for those used in our country are of a bad quality. Condoms of a good quality are very expensive and we cannot afford them. Rather, one should refrain from having sex because condoms do not prevent totally someone from contaminating HIV virus. In our country friendship between young boys and girls is irresponsibly dealt with. In the very first time, you can use condom but this can not always be the case. This is when you became intimates and judge that it’s no use using condoms and thus run the risk of contamination. According to me therefore, it is better to refrain from having sex than to use condoms.”

In the view of RENE, he thinks that sexual intercourse is a need among other needs which need to be satisfied. The following is his position:“It would be very difficult for me to refrain from having sex. I simply use condoms and it is good. I can never forget using a condom because I know that AIDS is a danger we are facing in our country. However, I know that there are young people like me who are sexually irresponsible and who never remember to use condoms. If I were asked to vote for the use condoms or abstinence, I would vote for the use of condoms for abstinence is quite impossible. It’s worth mentioning that it is very difficult to remember condom for each sexual contact and that many people become victims of this situation.”

We have also attempted to talk to a priest and here is their position in Catholic Church:
“ It is clear for us. We are totally against the use of condoms. In our church we preach that abstinence is the only way of fighting ADIS because illegal sexuality is simply adultery and God is against it. In fact, you should know that teaching the use of condoms is a way of spreading HIV/AIDS as it is the case today.

Let’s mention that more than fifteen percent of Burundian are suffering from AIDS and that at least one thousand Burundian die of it each year. What about in yours countries? React and let exchange about this.

Emancipation of Burundian young girls against Burundian culture but necessary for a durable development - by Lyse IRADUKUNDA
A Burundian woman has since a long time been considered as a housewife and it has taken a long moment to change this cultural conception. In Burundian traditon, a woman had to stay home, cultivate, look after children and she had no right to go to school. As time went on, some parents accepted to send their daughters to school but very fen followed this line. Since this time on, educated woman could be observed in some cities of the country. Another serious question is that women in Burundi were discriminated while nominating people to occupy some political posts. According to the Burundian mentality, a woman could not a politician, leader simply to say that she was intellectally unable. However, it is very difficult to talk of durable development when women are not associated.

Associations engaged in Burundian young girl promotion attempted to defend different rights such as right to studies, work and that of Burundian young girl wellbeing. This attempt was criticized by some Burundian, saying it open the door to modernity leading mans of Burundian girls to cultural alienation. Today, Burundian women judge this fight positively for the actinal government has accepted and decided to associate women in all spheres of the national life even polities( 30% in polities are women). Yet, the fight is to be continned for Burundian women are in dire need of gender equality, that is 50% in all domains.

We have tried to approach different persons to hear what they think about emancipation of women in Burundi, the following is their position:“my name is Venand IYOKWIZERA. I am not a civil servant but a breeder. I am not happy to see that burundian culture can not more educated a burudian woman. According to me, it is quite normal today for a woman to go home late in the night, sit among men and discuss or even take a decision opposing that of he husband. Today, it is very difficult to beat one’s wife because she goes to complain in the different associations and the man risks some punishment. Things have changed. According to me, a Burundian man has no more the value he used to have in former time”.

According to Aline KWIZERA a civil servant, it is total satisfaction as she mentions it:“ We are very happy and we are determined to continue the fight. These days a Burundian woman is not as discriminated as she used to be there are some years ago. Actually, we can say that our rights are more or less respected. We can study, be employed and we are no more mistreated by our husbands because they know that we are somewhat protected. We work for the national development with a woman at centre given that she is a cornerstone of durable development. When a wife is in a good financial situation; it is the same for the whole family, simply to show that women play a key role in development.”

Olive MANIRAMBONA is one of the women who have been seriously beaten by their husbands and she is defended by ITEKA league. She says:"In order to be fully respected in our rights, we still have a long way to go. To be frank, many husbands continue to abuse and mistreat their wives without any reason. Look; my husband has beaten me, put pepper into my sex accusing me of nothing. Now, I am here in hospital and my children are alone at home. This is terrible and I think it is high time I become a member of associations defending rights for women soon after my recovery. This situation is unbearable and shameful.

We also attempted to approach Olive’s husband to ask him whether he regrets about what he has done to his wife or not. The following is what he told us:“ I don’t in anyway regret about what I have done because there is no thing surprising when a husband beats his wife. Rather, surprising is the fact that women go to complain once they are beaten by their husbands whereas they know that it is part of Burundian culture. As for as I am concerned, the different associations should not exist for the unique reason that they lead Burundian women to cultural alienation.”

It is worth mentioning that many cases of rape, torture are reported hare and there. This comes to prove that women are still not respected in their rights in Burundi and that many efforts have to be undertaken in order to come up with a solution to this problematic situation. Contact Lyse on naydburundi@yahoo.fr tel +257 79 900 404

Individual members who have joined through the WEB

Nkurunziza Aulis Augustin - FOCODE: Forum for Conscience and Development nkaulis2005@yahoo.fr +25779911941
Hatungimana Sylinie - First Vice Presidency of Republic of BURUNDI hatungimana_sylinie@yahoo.fr +25779997016
Nkundabahizi Gérard - First Vice Presidency of Republic of BURUNDI gnkundabahizi@yahoo.fr +25779906052
Inès Rosélyne Nduwimana - Youth Strategy for Disaster Reduction nduwimanai@yahoo.fr +25779963022
Ndayisasirire Emery Prosper - Youth Partnership For Development BURUNDI ypdpartnership@yahoo.fr +25777703533
Gorgon Sabushimike - East African Business Week sabushimike@gmail.com +25779939174
Aimable Havyarimana - Baobabconnections aimable1ha@yahoo.fr +25779571197
Ininahazwe Boris - Baobabconnections hazboris@yahoo.fr +25779920378
Fonogoro Pascal - Baobabconnections igcdine1@yahoo.fr +25778844644
Freddy Kabonye - Baobabconnections freddykabo1@yahoo.fr +25779905637
Alain- Bernard Irambona - Baobabconnections abiburundi@hotmail.com +25779946720
Eric Mahwane - Individual ericmahw@yahoo.fr +25779975440
Sagahungu Désiré - RENAJS sagetete@yahoo.fr
Girumugisha Hyacinthe - AJI gihyac@yahoo.fr
Niyongabo Patrick - HOPE AFRICA YOUTHS nipat50@yahoo.fr
Aline Niyonkuru - CPAJ aliny_niyo@yahoo.fr
Onesphore Nganyirimana - AJI fjy4u@yahoo.co.uk
Nshariza Armand - BYTC & AJIR2DN armandnsha@yahoo.fr