Nyarumanga, Bujumbura
>> Quick Facts <<
Located in the north of Bujumbura
Home to the city’s rubbish dump
Highest risk of cholera in Burundi*
Greatest number of street children in all urban Burundi*
Most vulnerable to flooding*
In a densely populated, quickly developing neighborhood of Buterere
*According to a 2020 UNICEF assessment
Meet the Community
The community of Nyarumanga consists of 60 beautiful families with a complicated history. Mostly consisting of Batwa, a marginalized ethnic minority in Burundi, they were forcibly removed from their land in decades past and relocated in this area in the northern part of Bujumbura – the city rubbish dump. Due to a lack of resources and investment, as well as a lifetime of trauma, these families have resorted to the dump as their main source of living. Instead of going to school, children sort through piles of burning refuse to find something to eat. Instead of securing jobs, mothers and fathers cull through the trash in hopes of selling anything of remote value. It is a grim existence. Yet, this community of clever people are incredibly resourceful and intuitive. The children creatively craft toys out of plastic bottles and old tires, and the parents are full to the brim with ideas for lucrative businesses. They are a people of integrity and dignity who want to work hard to support themselves and their families.
Our Partnership Story
In 2014, Ezechiel and Nicola felt a calling from the Lord to focus on Nyarumanga, a community they were well acquainted with as Ezechiel grew up in the same neighborhood. After a miraculous provision of funds, which confirmed the leading of the Lord, a newly founded Yada hosted Christmas dinner for 50 children and a gospel presentation. Over the following years, relationships and trust began to form between Yada and the Nyarumanga community, and we started dreaming together of a better life for this community, one that centered around education for the children and sustainable incomes for their parents, as well as access to health and nutrition. Click through those 3 areas of focus below to learn more about how these dreams are becoming a reality in Nyarumanga!
Our Focus
Education
Ensuring the children of Nyarumanga are receiving quality education is of primary importance to the vision of Yada. Therefore, we offer after-school tuition, pastoral care, a daily meal, and a teacher who attends school with them once a week for additional tutoring.
Business
We work together with the community leaders to create business opportunities so they are able to provide for their families with dignity. This involves business coaching, training, and micro loans, most recently experienced through pig farming!
Health/Nutrition
The Nyarumanga community has the right to preventative medical knowledge and sufficient remedial care. Thus, health care and basic medical knowledge are necessary components of our focus, as so many are struggling with their physical health.
