A seed of compassion rescued little boy Aimé of Rutegama

Aimé, a 3-year-old boy, is full of energy and he enjoys playing with other children. However, his early childhood has not been so kind. Discord between his parents prompted him to be taken care by her grandma Melania since he was 3 months old.

Born in 2019 in Rutegama community, Muramvya province, the little boy was abandoned by his mum when he was only 3 months after a dispute with her husband, Melania narrates.

Aimé’s mom got off bed at night and could not return home to see her child. Soon after, his father who could support those who promised to take care of him, subsequently left home for a long period of time.

Since then, Aimé erred from one family to another until he landed in the hands of his grandmother Melanie as a fourth person. 

“It was hard to take care of him because as an infant, needs were huge and he got sick seriously and recurrently”, says Isidonie, a community health worker.

Those who promised to support Aimé dropped the idea as his needs. They were not ready to bear all the cost of caring of him.

Lack of breast milk prompted Aime to lose weight and he was sometimes admitted at the hospital. His health status did not improve and Melania was desperate. “I thought he could die”, she shares.

In a mass screening carried out in her village, screeners after examining Aimé diagnosed him having an acute malnutrition. He had 2kgs 400gs while being 10 months old.

Melanie was advised to take the child to World Vision to seek support; what Melania did.

“He was agonizing when I took him (Aimé) to World Vision office. He had grey hair, and was very thin, God did a miracle through them and he recovered”, says Melania.

“I took the baby on my back and I went to knock at World Vision gate.” “At that time, aimé was 10 months old and could not sit or eat well”, she adds.

Most of children that lack care in their homes experience a difficult childhood and most of them end up in streets begging.

In Burundi, a survey conducted by the Coordination of Provincial Social Development Directorates in 2022 reveals that more than 7,000 children under the age of 18 are on the streets. The city of Bujumbura, the economic capital, alone has 5000 street children. The phenomenon is largely linked to poverty, family conflicts and population growth.  In adulthood, most of those children become street adult beggars.

For the case of Aimé, once he was taken to World Vision, he was received with compassion. Violette, a World vision staff in Rutegama, reveals that they could not abstain themselves from doing something for the weak child.

 “I am very thankful for World Vision. I thought they could not receive me, however, once they saw the child labelled in a cloth they were full of compassion”, Melania appreciates.

World Vision provided “powder milk” to feed the baby, they provided porridge flour and sugar, thermos, soaps, clothes and sheets.

Apart from the support provided, Aimé was sent to a community managed nutritional rehabilitation center. In the center, Melania was trained into growing and entertaining vegetables in a kitchen garden to get nutritious food for the baby.     

Once discharged from the center, Aimé got better, his life improved, and gained weight.

“May God bless World Vision, all the staff and may He do miracles for other vulnerable people as He did for Aimé”, thankful Melanie says.