As we began to plan for the March 2017 tournament, it was clear the drought plaguing Bujumbura was too severe to have another tournament. Hungry kids cannot be asked to play and we were not sure how to feed them. We needed to pause and figure out how to better support the community. Our thoughts turned to the orphans from the 2016 Community Camp. Last summer these three kids lost their parents to AIDS. Their uncle took them in, but had little to provide for them. They had participated in previous tournaments and their friends were eager to help. The house built last summer (image on the left) was a temporary shelter and much work was needed. This summer, Ezechiel proposed a community camp to build a new, permanent house for the kids and their uncle. All participants would be well-fed and once again leave with all of their school supplies. The kids were all eager to join and help build a house for their friends. In the end, the July Community Camp was an incredible experience for all involved. The completed house is show in the background of the image on the right. Please visit the July Community Camp page for a full slideshow and details about the camp, the participants, and all of the projects completed. The house is a great start, but this family could still use support. We have comprised a list of their needs to show how a simple donation can have a big impact for these 3 kids and their uncle. Our donation page details how you can get involved to support this family. Thank You! As always, these events and tournaments would not be possible without your generous support. We sincerely thank you for helping build community in Bujumbura, Burundi. With Gratitude, Alexis, Casey, Gwen, and MeLeesa
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December 2016 Tournament for GirlsThe December Tournament for Girls was everything we hoped it could be. Girls from all around the Ntahangwa community came together to play for the promotion of peace, reconciliation and cohesion. 8 teams consisting of a total of 144 girls and over 5000 total attendees enjoyed the 2 week tournament. Please visit our December Tournament for GirlsDecember 2016 - Girls! page for a full slideshow and details about the tournament, the participants, and feedback. Building a House for Orphans During a DroughtAs we started to plan for our Spring 2017 tournament we learned just how bad the drought and famine is in East Africa. Simply put, kids cannot play soccer if they are starving. However, we still want to engage with them and provide for their needs. As such we have decided to postpone any future tournaments for now and focus on more basic needs. Instead of a tournament, we hope to provide a shorter, smaller version of the community camp. Participants will finish the orphan house (three childern (8, 12 & 13) who lost their parents a week before the camp due to HIV/AIDS) started in during the August Community Camp. Every participant will receive meals throughout the day and also 2 lbs of beans and rice to help feed their families. Your tax-deductible donation of $25 makes this possible. Thank You!
As always, these events and tournaments would not be possible without your generous support. We sincerely thank you for helping bring about reconciliation in Burundi. With Gratitude, Alexis, Casey, Gwen, and MeLeesa August Community CampThe August Community Camp was an incredible experience for all of the youth who participated. Here are some highlights. Participants
Our First Tournament for Girls!We are so thrilled to be planning our first Amahoro tournament for girls! During our previous tournaments, many girls showed up to support their brothers. Ezechiel and his team have been working on organizing these local girls into teams. It is our plan to make girls soccer a permanent event for the promotion of reconciliation in Burundi. Extending soccer skills to the girls will empower them to push themselves to claim their rights in society, fight against injustices, stand against violence, and stand for peace and equality. Visit our December Tournament for Girls page for more information. Read below to learn how you can make a tax-deductible donation to support this tournament. Tax-deductible DonationsThank You!As always, these events and tournaments would not be possible without your generous support. We sincerely thank you for helping bring about reconciliation in Burundi.
With Gratitude, Alexis, Casey, Gwen, and MeLeesa July Tournament
We are excited to share about the success of the July 2016 Amahoro (peace) tournament. You can view even more information, photos, and video on the tournament page, here. First, all of us at Resilience International (RI) in Portland and Bujumbura wish to express our most sincere gratitude to the board of Oregon Adult Soccer Association (OASA) for sponsoring this tournament. Their generosity made the tournament possible and we are humbled and grateful for all they have done for the Bujumbura community and our organization. The tournament was another huge success. Participants were ages 18-35 and are considered the most politically vulnerable. Each day of the tournament was attended by about 2000 people. Ezechiel in Bujumbura sent us a great tournament wrap up, view it on the tournament page, here. Those of us at RI were so pleased to hear the impact the tournament had on the participants, coaches, and community. We are especially excited that they mentioned forming a soccer league and even the girls tournament (see below for more). Planning is already underway for this tournament in December. You can find out more information by visiting the planning page here. August Kids' Camp Please note we are still fundraising for the August Kid's Community Camp in Bujumbura. Just $25 sends a kid to camp for two weeks. There they will help with community projects, learn to work together, play some soccer, and leave with their school supplies for the year. Typically, children have to work the entire summer to earn enough money for their supplies. Please consider helping us continue to make an impact in Bujumbura. To learn more about the tournament, visit our planning page here or donate here. December Girls' Tournament We are so thrilled to be planning the first ever girls' tournament in Bujumbura! Ezechiel and his team are contacting girls and other stakeholders from different neighborhoods who are interested in playing for peace. During the just recent tournaments few girls showed up on the fields to support their brothers who were playing soccer. It is in our plan to make girls soccer a permanent event for promotion of peace in Burundi. Extending soccer skills to the girls will empower them to push themselves to claim their rights in the society, fight all sorts of injustices, stand against violence and for peace, and equality. We will continue to post tournament details on the tournament page. We will have donation information available soon. Our Story NW LCMS invited us to share our story on their site. Check it out here. Finally, we just thank each and every one of you for supporting our organization. It is your support that makes all of this possible. With Gratitude, Alexis, Casey, Gwen, and MeLeesa March 14 - 24, 2016 marked the second Amahoro (peace) tosurnament in Bujumbura, Burundi. Young men, ages 14 - 18, from 8 different neighborhoods participated in the second tournament.
The local neighborhoods held their own try-outs that helped them to form their teams. Youth from the neighborhoods practiced together and made team selections. The teams that were involved were Conforti, Cuma FC, Familiya, Fraternite, Hope FC, Kamenge FC, Kavumu FC and Nuru FC. This tournament, the second ever of the Amahoro tournaments, followed a similar pattern as the first. At the beginning of each round teams gathered together to hear a message of peace and community responsibility then pray together for the country, the needs of children and families represented in the tournament, among other issues. Once the message was delivered, the games were on! The tournament was held on 4 separate days over a 2 week period of time. Because we believe sport transcends differences, during breaks between games refreshments were provided for participants to enjoy as they spent time relaxing and interacting with other participants. Since there were 8 teams involved, there were quarter and semi finals leading up to the final game that took place on Thursday, March 24th. In this game, Kavumu FC defeated Kamenge FC 2 to 1. It is estimated that there were over 1,000 family, friends and community members who came to encourage their local youth as they participated in the event! Amahoro Soccer Tournament - Promoting Peace in Burundi
The first Amahoro (peace) tournament took place in December 2015. It was well attended by roughly a 1000 people over its 3 weekends, specifically engaging youth in conversations and activities promoting peace. There were 10 local Bujumbura youth teamswho participated. They ranged in age from 9 - 13. Our initial goal for the tournament was to equip the teams (who had little to no equipment) and cover the cost of the tournament. We successfully provided for the physical and financial needs of the tournaments. More importantly, youth and adults came together over 3 joy filled weekends. The tournament was so successful that a second tournament was quickly planned for March 2106. With each tournament, we are looking for ways to reduce costs and increase community involvement. |
Gwen TomacResilience International co-founder, wife, mother Archives
September 2017
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