What can the partnership achieve to improve education?

Despite Burundi enjoying free education since 2007, there are still regional disparities in terms of access to education. Some provinces still have low enrolment of children because of the lack of schools. In some, registration is up high at 142 per cent, whereas in others, like Cankuzo province, it is less than 74 per cent.
“Every parent on this hill was convinced that something had to be done in the sector of education,” says Hilaire Ndayikengurukiye, a community leader in Cankuzo province. “Children were still making long distances to reach the nearest school. We decided to build a school here on this hill. We met under that tree you see over there to discuss it.” As he leads a tour of the old school, the dark and small building looks as if it’s going to succumb at any minute.

“People here are very poor because of the civil war the country went through, that is what they could do. They did their best,” Hilaire says.  He looks at the old school, then looks at the new school standing nearby and laughs.

Donatien Bigiraneza, the World Vision Cankuzo Area Development Programme (ADP) manager explains that it was all possible because of team work. The community identified its own needs through their school managing committee (SMC) and then met with the World Vision ADP staff.

Cankuzo commune administrator, the commune director of education, student representatives, the chief of zone and the chief of Gatete Hill all worked together to build the new school.

Donatien says that World Vision has already built schools or rehabilitated old ones in the province so that children don’t have to walk 10 km or more to get to the nearest school.

The situation in Gatate was pressing as the old school could fall on children at any time. After the validation of Gatete school project implementation, they did not wait; the community gathered the locally available materials, the community brought desks, the donors provided the funding, and World Vision acted as a catalyst, overseeing the project. The result is a new school with six classrooms.

The cooperation, hard work and enthusiasm of the community proved that the people of Cankuzo are capable, are development oriented and care about the future of their children.

Gabbor Roney, a German donor, stood in front of the joyous crowd to speak and could not hide his excitement.  Different projects were presented to him by World Vision for funding, and among them he chose the sector of education because he was convinced that education was the most important area, he said. 

For the population of Gatete hill, it is that partnership that was missing to enable them to send their children to school.

Severin Buzingo, the Burundi Minister of Education, native of that hill, was present at the opening.

“This school is an unusual gift,” he said. “It is beyond any other gifts one can think of, money, food or any other thing donors can give. It provides sustainable development. If I am a minister today, it is because I went to school. I believe that sending a child to school is the best legacy a child can expect from his parents.”

The Minister noted that it was a shame to see that the whole hill of Gatete has only one person who graduated even 50 years after independence. He said he thought that the partnership came at the right time.

“Don’t think that we do not know the importance of schooling our children, we were lacking schools. Look at that old school we had. It had two classes only. How do you want all the children of this hill to find a place in two rooms?” explains Kabunduguru Marthe, a 55-year-old mother from the area, rejoicing to see her children going to a nearer school.

World Vision is excited to work with Burundi communities, acknowledging that they are development oriented, and care about the future of their children. Besides the new school, World Vision is constructing homes for teachers. The school will also have soon have access to clean water.