August 2016 - Community Camp
In August, we facilitated the first ever Community Camp in Bujumbura. The organizers said they were flooded with kids of all ages wanting to participate. The demand was so great, they had to ask some of the older kids to let the younger kids participate. The older kids were so generous, that they stayed to help and mentor the younger kids even though there were not enough supplies for them. We have a some highlights below and the full narrative from Ezechiel in Bujumbura further down. Please enjoy the slideshow!
Highlights
Supplies
Supplies
- 1020 notes books were distributed (200pages each); 220blue pens , 220 black pens, 105 math boxes (square, compas,pincil, sharpener,....) ; 110 paper bags.
- 102 campers and 8 facilitators. Including girls!
- Taught how to live harmoniously in the community, taught how to prevent some STD s especially ( Hiv/Aids), hygiene and benefit of living in clean environmnt.
- Cleaned the water channels blacked by garbage
- Made mud bricks for 3 AIDS orphans (520 bricks were made out of 1500 mud bricks needed to build for the a 2 bedroom house according to info the house is 7m by 5m ! *
Community Camp Recap
written by: Ezechiel in Bujumbura, Burundi
The camp's purpose is to strengthen peace in the commune of NTAHANGWA Kamenge area. 5 areas made up the urbane commune of Ntahangwa in Bujumbura city. These are Kamenge area, Ngagare, Buterere, Cibitoke and Kinama areas.
Thanks to the friends of the Ntahangwa commune we have organized summer camp's activities for the purpose of helping young people to value relationships, togetherness and peace in their communities despite their different social backgrounds.
Day 1
On August 25, 2016, 102 youth and 8 facilitators came together to share some testimonies and life experiences in the framework of strengthening peace and life together in our commune of Ntahangwa.
The camp took three days instead of 10 days as originally planned due to some reasons that were beyond our control. Nevertheless we were able to achieve much in these three days as you re going to see below in this report.
Rev Daniel reitarated the importance of peace we receive by Faith in Christ Jesus . Rom 5 :1 "Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Mr Jean Paul proceeded on giving some orientations of the camps activities and underlined the fact that summer camps allow campers to build long lasting relationships and understand better that in union there is strength. The Dr Pascal Ntakarutimana talked to the campers about the importance of valuing one’s self esteem as young people . He proceeded to share more information on how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. He shared with them about means and ways of preventing HIV AIDS among other infections diseases. He also shared the importance of living in clean environments, good hygiene and thus preventing opportunistic diseases.After talking about the importance of living in a clean environment, the campers demonstrated it by cleaning some water channels in the community. The channels had been obstructed by garbage, hindering dirty water from proceeding through its normal course easily.
Day 2
After a word of prayer, we proceeded on working; cleaning the water Channels and streets around in our area. The girls swept/cleaned the yard and others watered the flowers. We later sat down together and evaluated our work . We were all satisfied with the work done in unity and harmony. We all appreciated such unique opportunity. After that session we all shared soft drinks.
Day 3
Campers were glad to help making up mud bricks to build a house of two of their friends, AIDS orphans.*
As campers sat down to evaluate the sessions, they all were happy with their results and could not beleive how much they had achieved in just two days. Some of them even went ahead suggesting if it was possible to continue helping the two AIDS orhpan till they get their walls and iron sheet on the house.
The camps was closed by a distribution of a set of school supplies made of ( 10 notebooks for eacg camper, 2 blue pens, 2 black pens, math box made of ( square, compas,… and one plastic bag)
Feedback from Participants
* The beneficiary of the mud bricks are three childern (8, 12 & 13) who lost their parents a week before camp due to HIV/AIDS. They had no means or possibility of building a house so that they can live in it as siblings of one family. They had requested help from the community and now they have 520 mud bricks. Due to the time/funds constraints of the camp, the house is not complete. Please contact us if you would like to donate to help finish the house.
written by: Ezechiel in Bujumbura, Burundi
The camp's purpose is to strengthen peace in the commune of NTAHANGWA Kamenge area. 5 areas made up the urbane commune of Ntahangwa in Bujumbura city. These are Kamenge area, Ngagare, Buterere, Cibitoke and Kinama areas.
Thanks to the friends of the Ntahangwa commune we have organized summer camp's activities for the purpose of helping young people to value relationships, togetherness and peace in their communities despite their different social backgrounds.
Day 1
On August 25, 2016, 102 youth and 8 facilitators came together to share some testimonies and life experiences in the framework of strengthening peace and life together in our commune of Ntahangwa.
The camp took three days instead of 10 days as originally planned due to some reasons that were beyond our control. Nevertheless we were able to achieve much in these three days as you re going to see below in this report.
Rev Daniel reitarated the importance of peace we receive by Faith in Christ Jesus . Rom 5 :1 "Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Mr Jean Paul proceeded on giving some orientations of the camps activities and underlined the fact that summer camps allow campers to build long lasting relationships and understand better that in union there is strength. The Dr Pascal Ntakarutimana talked to the campers about the importance of valuing one’s self esteem as young people . He proceeded to share more information on how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. He shared with them about means and ways of preventing HIV AIDS among other infections diseases. He also shared the importance of living in clean environments, good hygiene and thus preventing opportunistic diseases.After talking about the importance of living in a clean environment, the campers demonstrated it by cleaning some water channels in the community. The channels had been obstructed by garbage, hindering dirty water from proceeding through its normal course easily.
Day 2
After a word of prayer, we proceeded on working; cleaning the water Channels and streets around in our area. The girls swept/cleaned the yard and others watered the flowers. We later sat down together and evaluated our work . We were all satisfied with the work done in unity and harmony. We all appreciated such unique opportunity. After that session we all shared soft drinks.
Day 3
Campers were glad to help making up mud bricks to build a house of two of their friends, AIDS orphans.*
As campers sat down to evaluate the sessions, they all were happy with their results and could not beleive how much they had achieved in just two days. Some of them even went ahead suggesting if it was possible to continue helping the two AIDS orhpan till they get their walls and iron sheet on the house.
The camps was closed by a distribution of a set of school supplies made of ( 10 notebooks for eacg camper, 2 blue pens, 2 black pens, math box made of ( square, compas,… and one plastic bag)
Feedback from Participants
- Young people have thanked the organizers of this summer camp.
- they have requested that these activities could continue even to include other young people who drop out of school because of the shortcomings of the school supplies
- They request to have T-shirts during the next camps activities to add more visibility and impact in the community.
- They have requested that the association could see how to consider helping with tuition fees for those who are studying in the difficult conditions
- They have requested the volunteer group to own their appropriate camp tools(hoes, shavels, willbarrows,…), in order to be more productive in ther future camp activities. For instance they would have made more mudbricks had it not been for the deficiency of the hardware/form.
- If possible to organize camp activities in the other communes of the city and make it regular yearly event.
- May God help of those who contributed to the success of this first summer camp.
* The beneficiary of the mud bricks are three childern (8, 12 & 13) who lost their parents a week before camp due to HIV/AIDS. They had no means or possibility of building a house so that they can live in it as siblings of one family. They had requested help from the community and now they have 520 mud bricks. Due to the time/funds constraints of the camp, the house is not complete. Please contact us if you would like to donate to help finish the house.
There are days when I wonder if anything is going to make a difference in this crazy world we are living in. However, after hearing the stories of hope from the people I worked with this summer and seeing the changes that occurred right before my eyes, I’ve realized that there are still ways of creating peace among people; and that is what drives me to want to do more.
- Sarah Nieburg
- Sarah Nieburg