We used to drive the one-hour journey back to Bujumbura from Gihanga in silence, with the exception of a few sighs and weepy sniffs. Our hearts were broken over the swollen bellies and dripping noses of hungry and sick children. It was devastating to walk by the sticks-and-rubbish huts falling over in the rain. We listened in agony to stories of dignity lost as parents struggled to do anything to feed their families maybe twice per week. Solutions felt distant and complex as infighting and strife continued between community members, because poverty and desperation brings out the worst in everyone.
The drive home these days look so different.
Our hearts are now filled with joy as we celebrate the incoming crops, cultivated with pride by members of the community. Laughter and giggles erupt from our team as we discuss the various children who are putting on weight through the success of our porridge program. Our spirits are lifted as we see family after family moving into secure homes that will last a lifetime. Weeping has turned to rejoicing knowing that with these changes, spiritual transformation is coming along, and we now count many of our friends in Gihanga now as spiritual family.
There’s a long way to go, undoubtedly, and suffering and death is still a regular part of life in Gihanga. But we must pause and count the wins and praise God for the transformation we do see!
We want to unpack a bit of each of those success stories so you can share in our joy — after all, none of this could have been accomplished without your support!
A Bountiful Harvest 🌽
We are just weeks out from harvesting the most beautiful maize we’ve ever seen. It was an act of trust on behalf of the community to follow the instructions and guidance from Foundations for Farming, as their method differs drastically from the traditional way of cultivating. Many members of the community (and to be honest, even we) had our doubts that maize would do so well this close to dry season!
However, the Gihanga farmers had faith and diligently planted, mulched, and cultivated over the last 2 months led by the FFF team. Rain came on time and in abundance, and due to the farming technique, the soil was able to retain nutrients and moisture to keep the crops growing strong. Here we are now, weeks from harvest, and we are seeing some of the largest ears of corn any of us have ever seen currently growing on our land!
An additional great success is that the community pooled their resources to pay for a guard to protect the crops from thieves and animals. It speaks volumes about our relationship there that they did not ask us to pay for this, as it shows they’re feeling empowered to accomplish greatness themselves and do not see us as giving handouts.
This harvest depicted below is from one of our three hectares of land donated to us graciously by one of our partners last year. The community also cultivated beans and rice on part of one of the other hectares (the third hectare is still being prepared before planting).
Full Tummies 🥘
Thanks to a faithful group of partners, our porridge program has continued to thrive. When we recently looked through some photos from the kids on the first day of the program from a few months ago when we weighed them, and compared them to today – we were completely floored. While we are cautious about the type of photos shared on the internet, trust when we say these babies are looking SO much better! It’s so sweet to see round cheeks and chunky thighs on kids who were skin and bones just a few months ago.
While this is not a program we plan to continue forever, for the time being it is literally saving lives. For those of you who are giving to keep it going, know that you are making a massive difference.
Houses 2 and 3 Underway! 🏠
Last month we completed the first home of our housing project, which we wrote about here (make sure to watch the video!). This month we’re working on the 2nd and 3rd homes for a widow and a family. It took a full day to break down their mud-and-stick shacks, and we are well over halfway to finishing them!
In this video, Carley will give you a sneak peek at the next home (#4!) to be replaced and show you the side by side difference between the new and the old!
We have just received funding for the next 3 houses, but as we are attempting to build them 2 at a time, we’d love funding for one more in the next few weeks. If you or your friends/family/church want to go in on a home together, please let us know as soon as possible, and we can let you know details on pricing. Our hope is to have these current 2 finished in the next few weeks, and then 4 more going up over the summertime.
Spiritual Transformation 🙌🏾
Telling people that God loves them must be accompanied by acts of love and service. This is why we do not just focus on humanitarian efforts, but we also continually strive to share with the community just how “wide, deep, and high is the love of Jesus” towards them. The two must go hand in hand. That said, we are very cautious to not put pressure on anyone to follow Jesus, and we make it clear that our partnership is in no way based on any commitment to faith on their part.
Last week we saw four of our mama-farmers give their lives to the Lord or decide to make re-commitments to their faith. During a discussion with the community about God’s love, a few of them admitted that they want to experience that for themselves. Our team was able to pray with them upon their request and share with them more about God’s love for them! We later met with the four women in private and are currently working out a plan to provide some discipleship and guidance as they step into their new decision. Thank you for celebrating this significant victory with us!
What about the well? 💧
We’ve just had a vital meeting this concerning the well, and we left feeling greatly encouraged. In the next couple of weeks we’ll have a fuller and more detailed update, but for now, we’re praising God for progress and also asking for continued prayers that this work would be finished in the near future. Stay tuned for more on that shortly!
Nyarumanga
We realize Gihanga has taken center stage in many of our updates, but we wanted to just remind you to be praying for our other community, Nyarumanga. Our Ituta program is still thriving, and we’re seeing children attending school, staying healthy and protected, and families taking steps towards sustainability.
Sadly, one of our Ituta children named Alida passed away this week from brain cancer at just 5 years old. There was nothing the doctors could do for her here in Burundi. However, Yada had the privilege to support her mum (single parent) and two siblings through this journey, and we laid her to rest on Friday. Please keep her family and our team in your prayers and they grief the loss of this precious child.
Thank you so much for your continued support! None of this would be possible without you, and we’re endlessly grateful. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us: helloyadaburundi@gmail.com