By Christy Jones

On a Sunday morning in July hundreds of joyful Burundians gathered in the courtyard of a local high school to celebrate its annual graduation ceremony. Unlike attendees of graduations in the U.S. sitting in ordered rows in auditoriums or stadiums, those who gathered on this occasion mingled freely with friends and family, crowded as close as possible to the stage when diplomas were handed out to those they knew, and then moved away again to laugh and chat with loved ones as others repositioned themselves to fill their places near the front. This particular ceremony, however, differed from the majority of those in the country, because it symbolized for the Batwa an emerging hope that change has begun for their people. To understand this hope, one must first understand something of this people group’s plight.

For generations, the Batwa lived peacefully within the Great Lakes region of Africa, surviving on hunting and gathering in the abundant forests. Though they were the first people to inhabit this area, they did not develop complex infrastructure as later populations did, nor did they assimilate into those of other people groups due to their nomadic lifestyle. When colonialists began building public schools over a century ago, the Batwa failed to benefit because no one encouraged their children to attend or conveyed to them the importance of a formal education, and even if they did send their children to school, they were often denied access because of their lack of a permanent address which led to difficulty in the registration process. Even with the introduction of mission schools, the Batwa still frequently were not permitted to attend because their traditional religious practices involved idolatry.

In more recent history, after Burundi gained its independence in 1962, the government was no longer able to provide free public education, which meant that only children from families who could afford to pay the fees were able to attend school. Though the Batwa had begun to live in somewhat more permanent villages by this point, they still had very little cash income and therefore very few could afford to have their children educated. In 2005, with the establishment of a new constitution, the country once again began offering free public education, but only at the primary level. Though the new system makes the first years of schooling more accessible to a greater number of families, parents still must find means of buying uniforms and materials, such as books, pencils and paper. For the Batwa, this often means choosing between sending their children to school and feeding their families. If children do finish primary school and wish to continue their education, they must find additional funding for not only uniforms and materials, but for the entrance fees as well. Even when they do save money for secondary school or find an outside source of funding, students then must either locate affordable living accommodations near their schools or travel on foot from their family homes to and from school every day, often more than ten miles round trip, because there currently are no high schools close to Batwa villages.

Aside from monetary issues that keep education inaccessible for many, the Batwa have the added burden of being treated as outcasts within their society. Especially in rural areas, they face ridicule and marginalization from virtually everyone they encounter when they venture outside of their own villages. When the children do go to school, they usually stand out from their Hutu and Tutsi peers because of their shabby clothing, frequent lack of shoes, and poor diets. Often other students mock them for their ethnicity and appearance and refuse to befriend them. Even teachers commonly discriminate against them by forcing them to sit in the back of classrooms or drawing an entire class’s attention to errors they make when their peers would receive no notice for making the same mistakes. Facing such conditions discourages countless Batwa students, and understandably, many of them simply stop attending school rather than try to overcome these difficulties day after day.

Now meet Arthemon Katihabwa from Bururi, the young Mutwa whose graduation was celebrated on the previously mentioned morning in July. His graduation ceremony caused much celebrating because it signified great possibility for other Batwa. He is proof that even with seemingly overwhelming hardships in their paths, those who have the courage to do so, will succeed. Arthemon not only faced the enormous problems commonly confronting his people as he struggled to complete his primary and secondary education, but also suffered a number of physical ailments in recent years, many of which went untreated due to a lack of money. In spite of all this, Arthemon not only completed his high school education, but did so with honors, setting an example for others of what can be accomplished. He and the ten other Batwa students who graduated from various secondary schools throughout Burundi this year can now visit their villages as role models, talking with parents to encourage them to send their children to school and with children to show them that they can indeed overcome obstacles to reach their goals.

Though a few are added to the number of Batwa having completed a secondary education each year, much still remains to be done in their struggle for equality within Burundian society. Out of 6 students from his village who began primary school so many years ago, only Arthemon and one other finished their elementary education and continued to high school, and only Arthemon himself has graduated from high school at this point. It is estimated that of the relatively few Batwa students currently enrolled in secondary school, as many as 90% of them will drop out before they have graduated due to lack of funds or discouragement because of mistreatment. This significant drop out rate means that even when positions of influence within society are opened to Batwa, many remain unfilled because of the lack of qualified individuals. A number of jobs that would allow significant advocacy for the Batwa, such as elementary teachers, commissioners, and even senators and Members of Parliament, require only high school diplomas, and so Community for Burundi’s role in partnering with students as they work to complete their secondary educations is crucial in allowing this often outcast group to overcome their difficulties and bring about change from within through leaders raised up from their own people. With assistance, more Batwa students determined enough to complete their education will graduate, step into positions of leadership and raise their voices in advocacy for their people as they in turn then have the ability to inspire and support those who follow in their footsteps.