Getting to Work
Mar 11th, 2009 by kelley johnson
Claude arrived in Bujumbura in late February and was greeted at the airport by an enthusiastic crowd of Batwa students, led by Etienne. It was only a few weeks earlier that Claude was seeing Etienne off from an airport in the United States. Etienne was returning home with many gifts from his Texas friends, tools for the work ahead.
So Claude wasted no time in getting to work, joining the Batwa Committee leaders in the joint venture of Community for Burundi. Right away he noticed that the Batwa leaders were all using the new computers given to them by Community of Faith partners. So the first thing they did after greetings and words of thanksgiving… they got busy setting up an office in the Community for Burundi Student House.
Claude and Etienne drove all over town looking for the right workstations, chairs and conference table for the many meetings to come. They purchased what was needed and eagerly arranged their new office space. Now Community for Burundi has an office to operate from and the tool to use in hand which will allow them to move the project forward.
But even without the office space and before the computers, the Committee Leaders were working hard for their communities. They visited villages across several provinces to identify families to participate in the Community for Burundi land development project. By the time Claude joined them, they had selected 30 families who were willing to join this new Batwa community and work to make a new life for themselves and their families! Now it was Claude’s turn to meet some of these families, new partners in this venture of hope.
Claude traveled to meet some of these families and see their current living conditions. He also looked at some property for the families. He and fellow leaders walked the length of the land with the agricultural engineer to ensure this would be a rich and sustainable environment for the new community. Things are looking favorable – but prayers are appreciated as we move forward toward acquisition of the land. Nothing is a given in Burundi, so we are hopeful and remain prayerful as we begin negotiations for this new home for the Batwa families.
The leaders on Community for Burundi continue to work hard – with a few extra tool in hand now!
Kelley
Thanks for this great report. I am praying for the process of selecting good land and purchasing it at a fair value.
Kelly
Kelley,
When I was in Southern Sudan a couple years ago they told me they didn’t purchase “land” in Sudan, but the tree’s on the land. It was interesting to me, I guess because it’s different that what I’d seen before. I was curious, is this the same way in Burundi?
Also, they were stuck in this “cycle” with the original “tree owner” of their land, as he kept coming back demanding more payment over and over again (in the form of a bicycle, water, etc.). They told me they had to continue to do this, there were no laws to protect them.
I know you are missing Claude and your little one! We are praying for them and for you!
Sherry
Thanks Sherry for the question. In Burundi it’s a lot different than Sudan. You can purchase land and have a title for the property.
That’s awesome! I’d hate to see this same type of thing happen there. It’s ended up being this long running joke now with my friends, they laugh and try to guess what they will ask for every year in place of the tree’s. lol!