Last Monday, US Ambassador to Burundi Anne Casper experienced something remarkable: dancing with the Batwa of Kayanza.
Evariste and the ASSEJEBA team guided Ambassador Casper through the village as she was welcomed in full force.
Ambassador Casper dances in celebration with the Batwa of Kayanza
The Ambassador visited a Batwa village to launch a new ID Kits project in collaboration with African Road and ASSEJEBA, the Batwa leadership team led by Changemaker Evariste Ndikumana.
ID Kits empower people to be legally married, to vote, to use public transport without harassment, and to have birth certificates for their children so that they can access health care. You can learn more about African Road ID Kits here.
ID Kits also help to reduce discrimination against the Batwa indigenous people who have historically been marginalized from Burundian society.
Ambassador Casper listens to Daprose, a mother of four in Kayanza
A particular highlight of Ambassador Casper’s visit was her ability to speak fluent Kirundi. She had many conversations with Batwa villagers, listening to them and responding without an interpreter. One woman named Daprose said, “we are very happy to welcome her and show her our lives. We appreciate her humility towards us.”
Simon, a 38 year-old father of four, said “when we have this help (of receiving the ID Kits), we will be treated equally like any other Burundians.”
Approximately 800 people in eight villages will benefit from ID kits as part of this project.
Ambassador Casper visits Daprose’s traditional Batwa house
Kayanza Province is northeast of Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. The eight new villages receiving ID Kits are close to the villages of Mwendo and Ndava where African Road has existing partnerships.
This special ID Kits project is funded by a US Embassy grant provided directly to ASSEJEBA, with African Road serving alongside ASSEJEBA for project management. This is a big and exciting step forward for ASSEJEBA to advance progress for the Batwa people of Burundi. For African Road, ASSEJEBA’s leadership on this project also represents a step towards our own mission to equip and empower our partners to become self-sufficient.
Congratulations to ASSEJEBA on a successful project launch, and warm thanks to the US Embassy for their support of the Batwa people!
Learn more about ID Kits by watching our film.