In Buhumuza, across the communes of Gisagara and Cankuzo, the Association for the Development and Socio-Economic Reintegration of People with Limited Means (ADRSEPAL) distributed school kits to 336 Batwa children and 160 hoes to their parents on September 13 and 14, 2025. This initiative, supported by Italian partners, aims to promote access to education for children from marginalized communities while strengthening the livelihoods of their families.
As part of its commitment to supporting the Burundian government’s programs and initiatives, ADRSEPAL, an association representing members of the indigenous Batwa community, organized the school kits and agricultural hoes distribution campaign in the newly established province of Buhumuza.
The activity took place, on September 13 and 14, 2025, in the communes of Gisagara and Cankuzo, specifically in the zones of Gisagara, Cankuzo, Kigamba, and Cendajuru. A total of 336 pupils received school kits, including 329 from primary school and 7 from post-primary school. Simultaneously, 160 hoes were handed over to Batwa households, primarily the parents of the pupil beneficiaries.
During the event, the ADRSEPAL President, Honorable Senator Léonard Habimana, encouraged the children to take good care of the materials they received, avoid absenteeism, and remain committed to their studies in order to achieve good results and not disappoint the donors. He emphasized that their success would contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education.
He also urged parents to support their children with whatever means they had to help secure their future. The distribution of hoes, he noted, was meant to promote economic self-reliance among these households. In addition, Senator Léonard Habimana called on Batwa families in the visited areas to maintain good hygiene practices and to intensify their efforts to meet their basic needs.
Beneficiaries’ Appreciation
“We thank ADRSEPAL for thinking of us, and ask them to support other children like us.”
One of the parents of the pupil beneficiaries thanked ADRSEPAL for its invaluable support, pointing out that many Batwa children drop out of school due to a lack of material and financial resources. He called on the Association for the Development and Socio-Economic Reintegration of People with Limited Means (ADRSEPAL) to continue its support and to consider other Batwa children who still lack access to education.
“We will do our best to study seriously and succeed with good notes,” said one of the Batwa pupil beneficiaries from the Gisagara commune, after receiving the school supplies. He added, “We sincerely thank ADRSEPAL for thinking of us, and we ask them to support other children like us.”
The distributed school kits included copybooks, pens, soaps, uniforms, school bags, and shoes. This activity was made possible through a donation from the Italian organization ECCOMI, with technical support from the Italian association GPL (Gruppo Presenza Locale).
