Our Blog

With the aim of supporting Burundi's orphans and other vulnerable children (OVC) to gain access to quality education, Service Yezu Mwiza organised on Friday 10 September 2021, a distribution of school kits to 1,375 OVC pupils in order to allow them to join the rest of the country's pupils for the start of the school year 2021-2022.

This distribution of school kits consists of: 1,375 school uniforms (502 for secondary and 873 for primary), 16,260 notebooks (7,006 100-sheet notebooks and 9,254 60-sheet notebooks), 4,125 pens and 502 Mathematical boxes; was made possible thanks to co-funding from Jesuit Missions-UK and CJI, the international solidarity agency of the Jesuits of Canada, which supports poor and marginalised people in Africa, Asia and Latin America in their struggle for a more just society.

Father Védaste Nkeshimana, SJ distributing school kits to OVCsAddressing the beneficiaries present at the distribution, SYM's Executive Director, Father Védaste Nkeshimana, SJ said that SYM is a care centre for vulnerable people living with HIV (PLHIV), and that its mission cannot be carried out well if it does not care about the future of the children of its vulnerable beneficiaries. He goes on to say that “Preparing a bright future for these children is to first ensure that they have the necessary school materials to go to school. Because they are the ones who, in the years to come, will take care of their parents or guardians. It is in this context that SYM thought of supporting vulnerable parents or guardians of OVC by giving school kits for these children since because of your vulnerability you cannot send them to school”. Father Védaste, SJ ended his speech by inviting parents to educate and give a good example of a spirit of humanity to their children so that they grow up with a heart full of humanity, compassion and wisdom.

Smiling, the parents and guardians of the OVC thank Service Yezu Mwiza and its benefactors very much: “Thanks to SYM and its benefactors, our children will soon be going to school with complete school kits. I have four children who often ask me if they are not going to school this year, as they have not yet seen the kits at home, and until then I did not know which saint to turn to, because I could hardly find their food. Today, I am very happy, because on the first day of school my children will be in uniform, with notebooks and pens like the rest of their classmates”, says one of the many vulnerable beneficiaries of SYM.

Quality education for all is one of the most solid pillars of sustainable development. Service Yezu Mwiza is delighted to have enabled these 1375 OVC pupils (including 697 girls and 678 boys) to return to school. Thanks to the above-mentioned benefactors, it will also be able to pay the school fees of more than 300 OVC pupils who are not able to find it.