Burundi is a small country with 19 provinces.
Each provinces have 5~10 Commune which consists 5~10 zones. The zones are divided into 5~7 collines. Colline means an individual hill or village. Burundi is a small country but is divided into many different regions.
HUMAN IN LOVE plans to select one province and carry out regional development programs focusing on educational program. We set priorities in selecting regions. We’ve collected data about regions based on the criteria listed below and are currently analyzing them.
(1) The region located within 2 hours from Bujumbura where the branch is
(2) The region with many people who need social and financial support
(3) The region with severe educational imbalance including low literacy rate
(4) The region without the help of UN or other NGOs
In Burundi, most of the supports of UN and NGOs are concentrated in areas which require urgent help. However, there are many people who need help in other regions as well. But they are not getting necessary helps to fulfill their potential. HUMAN IN LOVE is selecting regions in Bubanza Province based on meetings with the Ministry of Education, statistics of the Burundi government, and on-site investigation.
We chose Bubanza due to several reasons.
First, to reach the main road of Bubanza Province it takes about 40 minutes to one hour from Bujumbura. To reach rural areas of the Province, it takes about two to four hours.
[ The terrain of Burundi is hilly and mountainous. ]
Second, since Bubanza is located near the Democratic Republic of the Congo border, there are many people who need help such as war orphans and widows. Many people of Twa (Pygmies), an isolated tribe, and war refugees who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo live in Bubanza. Many of them need help socially and financially. Also, the region lacks farm land for rice and palm oil which is for exporting. The rice farming makes almost no revenue which lead to people suffering from poverty.
Third, the literacy rate of Bubanza is the lowest in Burundi. 60% of residents do not know how to write and read. According to the Ministry of Education, the region suffers from severe gender disparities in education.
Fourth, most of the UN programs are helping regions near the border or suffered from floods. According to an official from the Ministry of Education, there are organizations supporting food and supplies but no NGO working for sustainable development cooperation. Also, only some of the cooperative associations or unions are being funded by the government and there is no support from NGO in education or scholarship area.
Currently, we are cooperating with local officials of education to develop our project further. We’ve visited various zones such as Muyebe zone, Ruce zone, Gihanga zone, Mitakataka zone, and Muramda zone and met with local officials of the region for further study.
Based on our studies, we will have a discussion with the HQ and select one zone. I will update you on the process and result of selection next time.
