PROMOTING EDUCATION IS BUILDING THE NATION

It is now the time to bring joy and make vulnerable parents and their children to smile. How to do this. Just think on a small gift you can offer to a poor child and will remember you all his time of the life. Nothing others things than help him to go back to school.

Know that some children don’t know they biological fathers or don’t see them but hear that they exist. This situation frustrate more children and abandon to think on their future. But, you and me can help them to think on what is life.

Just buy for them some materials for school and bring them o them with love and smile to them.

Sending children to school is building future for a Nation

HEALTH PROMOTION BY TOGETHER FOR DEVELOPMENT-BIRASHOBOKA

PROJECT: Distribution of Health Insurance Cards to vulnerable people in Makamba, Rumonge and Gitega provinces

With the financial support of GLO, Together for Development-Birashoboka (TD-Birashoboka) has been able to distribute 2250 health insurance cards in two areas of Rumonge Commune: Gaatete and Buruhukiro in Rumonge Province, in the areas of Nyanza Lac in Makamba Province and Gitega Province on the rural Colline Nyabututsi, in the sub hill of Rubabi and in the Yoba district in Gitega town.

TD-Birashoboka would like to thank GLO and its leaders for this gesture in favour of the vulnerable and for entrusting TD with this work; and their heart to see Burundi transformed for an inclusive holistic development.

To carry out this activity, TD-Birashoboka worked with the local organisation AJMPD (Association des jeunes en Mission pour la Paix et le Développement) for the distribution in Commune Rumonge, Gatete and Buruhukiro.

The distribution in Gitega Commune was organised in collaboration with the Eglise Pleine Evangile de Gitega, while in Nyanza Lac Commune, members and volunteers of TD-Birashoboka carried out the distribution of 1500 CAMs to the vulnerable people of several hills of Nyanza Lac in all zones.

This distribution of CAMs was done thanks to the facilitation of the hill and community administration, security and local churches. We are proud of this collaboration for this activity and other services that TD-Birashoboka provides in these provinces.

Distribution periods

– As of 13 December 2021: Rumonge Province, Commune of Rumonge in the Buruhukiro zone and Gatete zone.

– As of 20-21 December 2021, distribution in Makamba Province, Commune de Nyanza Lac

– 22-23 December 2021, distribution in Province of Gitega, Colline Rubabi and quartier Yoba de magarama.

PRAYER REQUEST

There is still a long way to go to help the thousands of vulnerable people who are unable to afford a Health Insurance Card (HIC). We are again asking for support from any charitable souls where possible to give some vulnerable families these cards to enable them to access minimum health care.

To give one card, it is needed $ 2.5; can you bless one vulnerable person to get it.

KICKOFF TO HOPE INTERNATIONAL AND TOGETHER FOR DEVELOPMENT-BIRASHOBOKA NOVEMBER 2021 MINISTRY REPORT

We thank Almighty God for His support and protection during November 2021. We notice that His hand supports the ministry in the community. He is mesericordian to us. Thus, during November, the following are the major achievements made:

Community Development

During the month of November 2021 we made visits to the beneficiaries where Together for Development intervenes. The purpose of these visits was to assess with the different groups of beneficiaries the changes observed and what should be done as next steps. All sewing classes and others groups of beneficiaries were visited in Bujumbura, Gitega, Ngozi and Nyanza Lac:

Gitega

All the classes that have been trained in the use of the sewing machine are at the stage of creating a cooperative association which will have as its main activity sewing, selling clothes, and farm small animals and saving money for credits. The cooperative will be called « TURASHOBOYE » or « WE ARE ABLE » in English and will consist of 39 members but the doors are open to others who would like to join.

They have already held two General Assembly meetings to set up their constitution in order to submit it to the local government authorities for recognition or registration in the locality.

Nyanza Lac

In the Nyanza Lac region, Together for Development works with 3 categories of people:

1.  People living with physical disabilities,

2.  People living with HIV/AIDS

Prostitutes, widows, and others who have been trained to use the sewing machine with sewing cutter

We made a Visit at Nyanza Lac on 9-10^th November 2021 and 3 december 2021 Sewing project: What step for next year 2021

1. For the group that has been trained in sewing cutting (machine), 35 people, are all unanimous to start a sewing workshop with next year 2022. We have exchanged together on how to do it and have proposed to work in cooperative for sewing. The problem always mentioned is that of getting machines to use because only 4 machines are available.

2. The Musatwe widows, who number 12, have planned to grow vegetables such as tomatoes and raise rabbits. At this level, Together for Development has set aside one hundred thousand Burundian francs to support these widows, most of whom are returnees from Tanzania and who, in order to cultivate, they have to rent land or plots because they do not own any.

3. People living with HIV/AIDS are already planning to grow vegetables as it is the rainy season and to raise rabbits which are easy to find and multiply a lot and will serve as food as long as these people need the meat to strengthen their bodies.

4.  From 8^th – 9 November 2021, a visit was made to the TD-Birashoboka beneficiary groups in Mukungu for people with physical disabilities who have been participating in a training course in shoemaking since 23^rd July 2021. These physically challenged people have diverse talents to manifest the greatness of God the creator in them. Together for Development approached them to encourage them to develop the talents that God has put in them to participate in their financial empowerment despite the fact that some people think they are not productive. Thus TD trained them in the craft of shoemaking and will start next year 2022 to be trained in the use of the sewing machine and at the same time others will practice shoemaking.

Their graduation with certificates took place on 3 December 2021, the day of the International Day of Disabled Persons. They are encouraged by the fact that Together for Development has approached them.

And trained them in a profession that others did not consider. During our exchange after graduation, they expressed the desire to be supported with shoemaking materials for their group in order to put into practice the knowledge they had just acquired.

Ruhororo Site: Sewing machine and pig breeding, visit on 19 November 2021

The second group of 12 single women from Ruhororo is continuing theirtraining in sewing cutting but those who have already completed the training would like to work in a sewing cooperative next year but have the challenge of having sewing machines.

By 28 December 2021, the students of the second group will have their certificates. In total, 24 single women will have completed the training in the use of the machine. For the next step, it would be good to start a sewing workshop but still the challenge of having machines is too big.

Training on Evangelism through sport (18^th -20^th November 2021)

Training on evangelism through sport in Ngozi from 18 to 20 November 2021. Together for Development-Birashoboka, in collaboration with Eric, a young Christian sports trainer from Ngozi, organised a 3-day training for 20 young people who are passionate about making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Themes such as:

– The vision of the sports evangelism movement

– How to form and encourage groups

– What we do,

– how we do it and

– Where we do it.

We hope that the work started will continue in the churches where the participants come from and in the communities of schools and colleges. Pray that many of the players will accept Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior.

What do we notice that God is doing through the work that Together for Development and Kickoff to Hope International is doing!

After the first step of being sensitized and trained on behavior change and being equipped with practical life skills, all the different beneficiary groups are developing the spirit of working together.

Thus, in Gitega, Nyanza Lac and Ngozi it is time according to all the groups to move to the second stage of putting into practice all the techniques learned in sewing, livestock and agriculture in cooperatives in order to produce for survival and the creation of income towards financial empowerment.

Also, we are noticing a change in behavior in everyday life. Prostitutes giving up the trade to learn something else. Beneficiaries who join the church when before they did not participate in any church services.

What have been the challenges? How have you overcome them?

– After 3 months of trainings, they got certificates but they are not able to get a sewing machine. What we did to overcome the challenge was to coach them to work in team, save small money to rent a machine but it is too hard to them

– For the cooperatives with vegetable growing and small livestock activity, the challenge is to find large plots of land but we will start with the little we have and then rent large plots of land after a while

– Also, the problem of health care is a real challenge because health care is expensive. To remedy this problem, more than 2200 health insurance cards will be given to the beneficiaries.

Gregonie Story

Gredogie is a woman who has been a prostitute for many years. She has three children who also became involved in their mother’s conspiracy. Gregonie has three children and three grandchildren. She suffered for a long time in this practice, until she developed too much alcohol to think of doing without the worries. Since she got to know TD, she quickly understood that she is still alive to practice prostitution but this time she can give her life to God. Since March 2021, during a TD

session with women in prostitution, she started to sensitize others to do other things and give up the bad practice.

Today, she has given up taking alcohol, she has used a dactilograph machine to earn a living and has even got a husband with whom the Civil Registry Office has officially registered them in marriage.

Prayer request

– Pray for the health of the Together for Development team

– Pray that we can have at least 50 sewing machines and fabrics

– Communication and transportation fees of 12 volunteers.

Ephraim Ngendakuriyo

           Burundi

Together for Development have organized football tournaments in Bururi province, Bujumbura city, Bujumbura province, Makamba province in Nyanza Lac. 15 secondary schools have been equipped with football materials in October, November 2020 in those areas, Together have equipped 28 coaches from church and support “ Foot For Christ” with 2 balls; 4 football team of Football Helps got materials of sport in Kabezi Commune.

TD-Birashoboka is developing a women movement for self autonomous of widows at ruhororo in ngozi province

On 31st July 2022, Together for Development-Birashoboka with GLO team visited Mukerezi village to handover of a new house to the couple of Sylvestre and Marie Devote. This couple became vulnerable after got a disable child , today the child have 9 old but cannot eat herself or walk or seat down.

Not only this couple, but the area have more than 70 people with disability and need more assistant and help to be developed. It is why, TD started a sewing class. TD also is looking to someone can support to help this people in mukerezi hills to get more assistant in school and community development.

After three months of training on sewing machine, 11 persons have been graduated or received certificate and now they are able to start they own job.