Evariste Ndikumana is a leader of the Batwa indigenous people. The Batwa are a traditional hunter-gatherer group indigenous to central Africa; today, they are the most marginalized ethnic group in Burundi. Evariste was the second Twa person in his country to complete university and one of few to serve in Burundian parliament. Together with his non-profit team called ASSEJEBA, he passionately represents and serves the Batwa people. African Road partners with Evariste by providing ID Kits — including ID cards, a vital identity marker in Burundian society — and projects and training to build capacity in the Batwa community.
Evariste traveled to the USA for the first time for the 2018 African Road Annual Gala. Below is a transcript of an interview of Evariste by his friend/mentor Jenny Warner to the audience of the 2018 African Road Gala exploring their relationship and the incredible impact it is having on the Batwa people of Burundi.
Evariste: Amahoro! This word means greetings and peace in my language, Kirundi.
Jenny: Our community was looking for an organization to partner with that shared our values of development — values of mutuality, accompaniment, grassroots connection, and friendship. When we found African Road, we found an organization that exceeded our hopes. We learned about Evariste and the ID Kits project and wanted to have a part in it. Three of us were able to go with Kelly to Burundi in early 2015. Evariste introduced us to three Batwa villages. We danced together, cried together, and spent hours in conversation.
When we learned that presidential elections were only weeks away, we knew we had to act quickly so that our new friends could vote. We returned home and raised $10,000 in three weeks so that the villagers would receive ID and be able to vote for the first time in their lives. The ID cards were the first crucial step for these three villages to move forward.
Jenny and Evariste at the 2018 Gala
Evariste: I so am happy to be here with my friend Jenny tonight. I wish to show you my Burundian ID card and tell you about the power of this small piece of paper.
Jenny: What does this card mean to you, Evariste?
Evariste: ID gives me rights as a human being. ID is the source of all rights — the right to vote, the right to healthcare, the right to get justice, and many more.
Jenny: We often take our identification for granted, like our driver’s licenses and passports, but they are central to functioning freely in society. Just a piece of paper takes a Batwa person from being invisible and despised to being seen as a full citizen.
Evariste: You will see that your name tags tonight have the same words written on them as the ID card. The name tags are a reminder of the power of this simple piece of paper — the ID card — for a Batwa person in Burundi.
A man in one of the three villages partnering with Bend First Presbyterian and African Road shows his ID card
Jenny: By the time the ID project was done, our hearts were so connected to these villages and stories and the names. We knew there was more to do. In conversation with Evariste, his team, the village chiefs and elders, and African Road, we learned that training to grow crops and help to send kids to school would be the next important steps on the path to self-sufficiency.
We now have three years of friendship, farming, and school. Nearly every week, we see photos on Facebook of their progress. Evariste, what was it like when the first harvest came in?
Evariste: The Batwa were very happy. They were dancing and singing because they had their own harvest for the first time. They used their own hands to grow their own food.
Jenny: I can’t adequately express to you what it has meant to us to be a part of such a deep transformation. In the midst of all the bad news is in our world, our hearts are connected with these villages in Burundi, and together we are writing a story of good news — a story of hope. I love to invite others to join this story because it is the real deal.
Beyond the projects, we have found deep and abiding friendship with Evariste and his team, and we know how much is possible when you are walking together as friends. Being a part of this story is one of the greatest privileges of my life and work. Evariste, what was the impact for you to see three entire villages of Batwa people be able grow their own food and send their children to school for the first time?
Evariste: This project makes me deeply happy because it gives hope. It gives dignity to the Batwa to have their own food and to send their kids to school. Before help from African Road and our friends in Bend, Oregon, kids would sometimes die from hunger. Now, the Batwa in these villages have something to eat. The children are also able to attend school because they have food in their stomachs.
Dancing in the villages to celebrate the harvest
Jenny: With a village in Bend, Oregon working with Evariste in this African Road partnership, we have been able to reach three villages and see transformative change begin. How many Batwa villages are there?
Evariste: There are more than 600.
Jenny: African Road’s big dream is to continue to go forward and reach all the Batwa people through village to village partnerships like this one. We have been working with Evariste to build the capacity of his team to do this.
You have heard about Evariste’s extraordinary journey to graduate from high school, university, and law school. He speaks five languages and leads the first Batwa-run organization working on behalf of its people. He is a valued, respected, and sought after voice on the international stage for indigenous rights. Evariste, your passion and dedication is changing the future for your people. It is leading your country, the world, and us as we walk together into a future of honor and dignity for all. Evariste, what do you want us to most remember today?
Evariste: I wish to underline the importance of friendship. I encourage you to keep friendship with African Road. In the villages, the Batwa people do not have much, but if someone has a small thing, then they share with others. If someone has a problem, the others are there to help.
Thank you friends for sharing your blessing with us. It is a sign of friendship. I personally invite you to come see us in Burundi. Karibu ni! This means Welcome in Kirundi.
Jenny: In fact, I am going with an African Road Learning Trip to visit Evariste this summer.
Evariste, it is a privilege to work with you. We are grateful for your work.
Evariste and Jenny: Amahoro!
Guests listening to Evariste and Jenny
