Girimbabazi

Burundi

● Kigobe Sud, Bujumbura
● Construction of a school and canteen
● Education, vocational training
● Food aid

Girimbabazi is a non-governmental foundation that aims to promote the rights and well-being of the indigenous Twa people (who predate the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups). The Batwa people are a very small minority in Burundi, Rwanda, southern Uganda, and eastern DRC, and as a result are marginalized and even discriminated against.

In order to preserve their culture and traditions, strengthen their economic empowerment, and promote social cohesion, it is necessary to take into account their basic needs, namely

  • schools and school cafeterias for inclusive education leading to better integration into society
  • diversified vocational training (integration into the economic fabric and the fight against unemployment)
  • Support, particularly food support, for families who are mostly destitute, by promoting rabbit farming and vegetable gardens, among other things, while taking environmental protection into account.

The President of Girimbabazi, the first woman of the Twa ethnic group to have held the position of government minister for many years and still a member of parliament, had the idea of using the ancestral pottery skills of the women of the Batwa community to turn it into a real income-generating activity (IGA) by perfecting and professionalizing their knowledge to promote the manufacture of bricks (and eventually tiles). At the end of their training, which also includes the necessary entrepreneurship courses, the beneficiaries will be able to set up their own businesses and achieve financial independence. This will also help them to become better integrated into the social fabric, to the great benefit of their entire community.

Promoting the development of indigenous peoples

This program began in 2025 with an initial group of 50 women who have just completed their studies. A second group of 50 women is planned for 2026.

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