One Thing After The Next

It is difficult to put into words the current situation in Burundi. As the world’s second poorest country, disaster is an ever-familiar scenario, and a quick Google search on any given day will reveal innumerable challenges this country constantly faces. Yet, in the last year and increasingly in recent weeks, the situation in Burundi has become so grim that it’s hard to even keep track of all that we’re facing on a regular basis. Every day seems to greet us with one more impossible barrier to achieving our goals. Discouragement hangs in the air like a thick blanket. When we meet with friends and colleagues working throughout the country, the hugs are long and filled with heavy sighs. Everyone is exhausted. 

Flooding

Burundi has struggled with flooding before, but in the past few months, it has become disastrous. “Between September and April 7, some 203,944 people were affected by flooding, with 19,250 homes and 209 classrooms destroyed. The number of people internally displaced by flooding rose by 25%, reaching over 98,000” (AP News). Devastating landslides (see video below) around the country are a direct outcome of the heavy rains. 

The flooding has also led to other significant problems. When countries like Burundi, which lack a strong infrastructure, face flooding, it leads to sickness and disease because drinking water becomes contaminated with sewage water. Already, we’ve seen cases of cholera in our Nyarumanga community.  

Speaking of Nyarumanga, we’ve had the walls collapse on our Ituta center due to heavy rainfall. Our building is the only safe place our kiddos have to go instead of rummaging through the dump, and they are attending even more these days since they are unable to go to school because of flooding. We’ve been generously given the money to repair the walls, and this week we’re seeing those repairs done, praise God. 

Our Gihanga community, which is entirely agricultural, is particularly vulnerable to swings in climate change like this. The road to reach the community has become impossible to reach by car most days, making it quite a feat to bring in food and supplies for our current construction of the our community center. Many families have seen their homes collapse in the rain. Some are sleeping under a small corner of what remains of their mud dwellings. 

Featured photo taken Arise TV

Fuel

Due to a combination of factors, Burundi has struggled to have fuel. This has all but crippled an already limping economy, and the impact of these fuel shortages is far-reaching. The queues for petrol spill into the streets everywhere, stretching kilometers in every direction. When fuel finally sporadically and unpredictably arrives, the stations require police and razor wire fences because people are fighting and pushing their way to the front. One of our staff member’s vehicles was smashed into by another car trying to reach the pump, after already waiting two days in the queue. After the ordeal, they still were unable to get petrol for another full day. Other Yada staff members who do not have cars must wait many hours in queues for bus transport, as the buses with fuel are few and far between (see photo below). 

Power is typically hit-and-miss in Burundi, but due to flooding and fuel shortages, some areas of town have been without power for days on end. Fuel shortages impact the generators that keep cell towers functional, making communication and connection difficult. 

We obviously rely on fuel for our team to reach our communities and to bring out food for the food programmes and supplies for our community center construction. There are days where we are unable to make it, delaying and pushing back vital work. 

Fighting

On top of the flooding and fuel shortages, Burundi is facing unpredictable violence and insecurity. In the last two weeks, there have been multiple grenade attacks in Bujumbura with unconfirmed casualties. Our Gihanga community is right in the middle of an area frequently targeted by rebel groups, with a handful of attacks in recent months against civilians. 

As you can imagine, the insecurity has made it challenging for our ongoing work in Gihanga. Our community is in a vulnerable location geographically, and our team must be cautious and always aware of potential tension in the area. 

Where does our help come from?

These are just a handful of the monumentous trials we are dealing with in Burundi. This is to say nothing of the foreign currency shortage, forcing many businesses to face challenges due to imports into the country significantly slowing down. 

It is with heavy hearts we sing the ancient song of Psalm 121, “We lift our eyes to the mountains…where does our help come from?” Everywhere we look we see the mountains of problems, barriers, injustice, and challenges, and they are all beyond our control…Who will help us? Where will our help come from? We look at these problems and feel overwhelmed and exhausted, and we wonder who can help overcome this impossible situation? I believe David, the author of this prayer, was honestly asking this question.

Yet, we do not forget the second half of the prayer he wrote in faith: “Our help comes from the Lord. He made the heavens and the earth.” 

Our God, who literally holds the world in his hands, says that these problems are not too big for him. And though he is grieved by this hurting nation, he is not surprised, nor is he overwhelmed. We do not know the way forward, but every day we keep our eyes fixed on him, not on the mountains, and we declare in faith that we will see divine breakthrough in time. 

Please believe this with us. 

Prayer Requests

• Please be praying for provision of fuel so we can reach out communities and bring life-saving supplies
   
• Pray for the Gihanga community center to finish strong 
   
• Please pray against conflict in Burundi
   
• Please pray for the floods to draw back and for the displaced to find homes and be restored
   
• Please pray for the energy of our team, and pray against a spirit of discouragement