Our Blog

Service Yezu Mwiza, on February 26, 2022, organized the closing ceremonies of activities to strengthen health clubs, of 20 schools in Bujumbura Mairie, a project funded by the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN).

The aim of the project, was to revitalize the health clubs, by providing training on different themes, namely the prevention of HIV, unwanted pregnancies and other risky behaviours that can damage health and compromise a young person's future.

These colourful ceremonies were enlivened by an inter-club competition of the 20 schools under the theme, "Health above all for a happy generation" where each club should convey its message through sketches and poems.

According to the projects and programs coordinator at SYM, Alain Christy ININAHAZWE, sj, these inter-club competitions were organized with the aim of helping pupils to appropriate the information received on SRH through illustrative games, to allow pupils and teachers who do not participate in the activities of the health clubs to have a little notion about SRH, but also to evaluate the impact of the sensitizations carried out at club level.

After the interclub competition, it was the time for speeches by various authorities where they recognized the importance of strengthening the activities of health clubs in the 20 schools: The director in charge of education in commune Muha, thanks Service Yezu Mwiza, for its involvement in youth health education in health clubs: “We would like this project to be extended to other schools in the province and throughout the country if possible. Because we have seen through the competitions that the young people who benefited from your support have understood that good health implies good behaviour. May this message reach all young people in the country”, he concluded.

Ms Pascalia SERGON giving the message from the Director of AJAN

As for Ms Pascalia SERGON, in charge of programs and capacity building within AJAN, on behalf of the director of AJAN whom she represented, she expressed her feelings of gratitude for the implementation of the project. In her speech, she explained the purpose of the project for young people. “If we get sick, our health does not allow us to develop our country or our continent. So, the Jesuits and their partners have thought of promoting a healthy generation. For this to be possible, we must start by helping young people to change their behavior”. She ended her message by congratulating the work that Service Yezu Mwiza is doing to ensure that this beautiful country, Burundi, has a happy, responsible and healthy generation.

Executive Director of SYM, Father Védaste NKESHIMANA, sj delivering the closing speech of the project activities

In his closing remarks on the project, the Executive Director of SYM thanked the actors of this project, in particular AJAN, for having made it possible for the project to be carried out, the Principals of schools, the coaches, the parents of students and the peer educators to whom, he asks that the message continue to be given to their classmates who are not in health clubs or in the community in which they live, “we want to have a healthy, responsible and happy generation, but it will depend on the exemplary behaviour you will exhibit wherever you are”.

Photo of health club members who won the competition

Note that all 20 health clubs received two booklets, namely “Le monde commence par moi” and “AHAPPY GENERATION”. In addition to the booklets, the first 3 health clubs of this competition, in particular Lycée de la convivialité, ECOFO Saint Louis de Gonzague and Lycée Municipale Musaga received a volleyball, a ream of paper, three registers as well as the Service Yezu Mwiza t-shirts.