BEP Projects

The Duhindikibiri women project is based in RUVUMU village in Burundi, Central East Africa (Duhindikibiri = Working together to achieve a common goal). These women work together as group to grow crops in order to support the well-being of their families. Because the lands are small and women take responsibilities of providing daily needs for their family, especially their children, the Duhindikibiri women believe that they would be better off working together.

Duhindikibiri began its activities two years ago, but did not find anyone to support them until the summer of 2006 when ProLiteracy Worldwide international organization gave them a grant of $1,500. Due to lack of funds, these women were unable afford to rent a land where they could grow their plants; they then started work in groups of 5 women. They divided days throughout the week in a way that the group will go to help each member in their own fields. They eat some of their products and sell the rest of it. When they received the ProLiteracy grant, they were very happy and looking forward to accomplish their dreams.

How their money is structured to be used: They save the money they get after they sell their products and they put it into a very small account (in village). Part of the money is also used to send their children to school and to satisfy their family daily needs.

With the grant that Duhindikibiri received from ProLiteracy Worldwide, these women were able to reach some of their goals such as:

- To buy goats for each of them. The offspring of those goats (male mostly) will be sold to benefit the members of the association and in providing their families’ needs, such as educating their children, and for food. The goats will also give them manure, which will be used to enrich the soil.

-To buy digging tools which are mostly used and very necessary for their daily work; each woman received one digging hole tool.

-To buy 100 Kg of fertilizer to mix with the manure for products’ better outcome.

-To buy notebooks for the children of those who already have children attending school.

As for their future goals:

- They will rent bigger lands where they can increase their productivity.

- To open a small shop where they will sell their products.

The purpose of Duhindikikiri Women Project is to get women from different ethnic groups to work together to build a new relationship, through development and creativity, to support the well-being of their families. In other words, Duhindikibiri Women Project has influence on the education of women and their children, and a reconciliation program for Hutus and Tutsis who are the main ethnic groups in Burundi; Burundi has been in a 13 year civil war between these two groups.

Duhindikibiri Women Project will also be a target and opportunity for BEP students to go in the village to teach English or to help these women with other literacy and development related activities.