Beating discrimination, song by song

The once-discriminated-against Batwa people are now becoming knowledgeable and taking their children to school. All because of songs. 

The Batwa people, who have faced years of marginalisation, are the third largest ethnic community in Burundi after the Hutu and the Tutsi, with a population of about 80,000. There are about 85 Batwa people in the Muruta village, in the north-eastern part of Burundi. 

“We have always been despised and treated like we are strangers in our own country,” Evariste Karenzo, the village chief, says. “Even sometimes when we went to the health facilities, we would not get any help because no one wanted to attend to us.” 

When World Vision opened its doors in Gashoho community in 2009, their next-door neighbours, the Batwa people, did not participate in any community work. “Members complained they were discriminated by the other members of the community who were not Batwa. The marginalisation and segregation did not allow them to participate in community work and, as a result, they retreated back into the villages,” explains Felix Niyonsaba, Sponsorship Coordinator – WV Burundi. 

“We had to initiate ways of getting them more involved and also empowering them,” Mr Niyonsaba says. 

Leonard Karangwa, a World Vision community volunteer, sings with the Batwa community members most evenings. Photo by Lucy Murunga

So to engage the Batwa people, Leonard Karangwa, a World Vision community volunteer, began to compose songs and teach them to the community members. Today Mr Karangwa dedicates two hours every evening to teach the community - including children - new songs. “During the day, I am out in the field monitoring the sponsored children, registering new children and sending correspondence, and in the evening I mobilise the community, and we begin practice,” says Mr Karangwa. 

Mr Karangwa has always wanted to use his musical talents to make a change. “I love to work with children and the neglected, to make them feel happy and feel like they belong. Because of this music, we bring them together in one place and we sing about issues that affect them.” 

Slowly the community is becoming empowered and community participation is increasing. Mr Karangwa says, “Through songs, we have been able to educate them on what World Vision does.” 

The songs touch on different topics; about believing in God, on education urging all parents to take their children to school, and on health urging parents to take children to the health facility when they are ill. “We also sing about love, urging the Burundi citizens to love one another,” says Mr Karangwa. 

The community members feel energetic on stage and after the practice they return home educated. “Now we feel empowered and when a child attains school age (which is seven years old in Burundi) we put them to school,” says Margareta Saguye, a member of the Batwa community who has never been to school. “But before,” Mr Karangwa adds, “No child was being taken to school. Now all school-aged children are going to school.” 

“Before it is like we were in the darkness, but World Vision has helped raise our awareness levels, now we know what World Vision is and what it does,” explains Mr Karenzo, the village chief. 

World Vision also supports the children with learning materials in school and also has sponsored children in the village.