UMWIZERO is Founded

September 26, 2016

Educational Support and Solar Panel Installation

UMWIZERO donated solar panels and battery backups to primary and secondary schools. Having lights at night made it possible to have evening educational and community gatherings for children and adults. We also provided educational materials for 320 students.

Adult Education

We started an adult education program. Many of these adults never had the opportunity to go to school as children. As of 2020, over 50 adults have graduated and others are waiting their turn to learn to read and write in their own language of Kirundi, as well as learn arithmetic.

Moringa Seedling Program

UMWIZERO provided 8,000 seedlings of Moringa (Tree of Life) to the people of Ruyigi Province. Moringa trees are fast-growing and drought-resistant and have many uses. They can be cultivated for its leaves (which can be cooked like spinach or dried for sauces and even used as an anti-septic), fruit pods (which can be used in stews) seeds (which can be eaten like peas or roasted like nuts), and kernels for oil extraction (which can be used as fertilizer or biofuel, or as a water purifier). They are especially valuable in developing countries because of their high nutritional values of Vitamin C and Niacin, and minerals including Magnesium, Potassium and Iron.

Our First Agricultural Program

Recognizing that farming is the primary means of livelihood for over 80% of the community, and access to fresh food is a basic and continuous need, our first idea was to form a group of people who could cultivate the land. A small group of 25 people were given basic tools, rented land and seeds to plant.

Steady Growth with Sustainable Practices

We started with nine groups of about 25 people each doing their own farming and raising of goats, pigs and chickens. The valuable manure is used to raise their crops in a healthy organic manner. With our first few donated funds, we bought and distributed 22 goats and continue to increase this number. We started working on creating our own locally-grown chicken feed.

Girls & Boys Summer Camp

Umwizero starts a summer camp program for girls and boys, for when they are on break from school. They take part in health education, which prevents school dropouts and unwanted pregnancies. This program also provides school materials and tuition to 161 of the poorest children in the community, as well as orphans and students who are also single mothers.

Inaugural Opening of Our First Community Center

UMWIZERO opened our first Community Center in Busuma, where 500 people — including government representatives — attended our Opening Ceremony!

Community Health Education Outreach Program

UMWIZERO starts a Community Health Education Worker Outreach Program. We now have five teams of three trained Health Education Workers who travel from village to village educating the community about proper hygiene, disease prevention and clean water methods.

Fruit Tree Seedling Program

UMWIZERO worked with a nearby agricultural school to develop fruit tree grafting techniques and distribute 35,000 seedlings of Orange, Lemon, Mandarin, Maracudja and Plum Trees to the community as a sustainable source of vitamins and minerals. The recipients of the seedlings were also trained in how to care for and cultivate the trees.

Micro-Lending Program

UMWIZERO starts our first set of Micro-Lending groups. Groups are lent $300 – 500 dollars (US) after the local executive committee reviews the viability of their proposed project. Repayments are made after one year, during which time the groups receive mentoring support. Repaid funds are then used to support the next set of Micro-Lending groups.

Professional Center in Ruyigi

The new UMWIZERO Professional Center opens in Ruyigi Province.

Juvenile Detention Center Programming Ribbon Cutting

We celebrated with the Ministers of Justice and Solidarity at the inauguration of our vocational training in a juvenile detention facility.

Programming at the Juvenile Detention Center Begins

UMWIZERO begins working with a juvenile detention facility that houses over 70 adolescent and teenage boys. We provide vocational training in bicycle repair, livestock husbandry, haircutting and farming. We also provide psychological services and started a football (soccer) team, which promotes healthy relationship- and team-building.

Computer Training Program

Computer skills training begins for young students from the nearby schools at the UMWIZERO Professional Center.

Gitega Community Center

UMWIZERO opens the Gitega Community Center. This location includes 10 acres of land for cultivating purposes, as well as for raising pigs. Our focus here is to help families be self-sustaining, thereby allowing street kids — children who have been forced to sell candy on the streets or steal in order to help their families — come back home and return to school.

Sewing Machine Project

A sewing machine project is now in place with equipment and training for making clothes and sanitary napkins for young girls and women. This will help keep young girls in school, as well as provide employment. There is a waiting list of those wishing to train on the sewing machines as we expand the program.

Clean Water Project

UMWIZERO completed a 4.5-mile water pipe project that is bringing clean and safe water for the first time to over 5,400 people throughout the village and into the schools. All the labor was donated freely by the local people who are now benefiting from this life-changing project. The Inaugural Ceremony was hosted by the Vice President of Burundi Senate, as well as several other local Chiefs of Provinces and Districts. It was covered by national tv and radio.

New partnerships with Oxfam, Action Aid and Imiparec

Villagers have gathered here with interest in participating in a new project coordinated by UMWIZERO in partnership with Oxfam, ActionAid and Imiparec. Additional support and sponsorship is being provided by the Europe Union. This project is focused on vocational training and entrepreneurial skills.

Increased 2022 School Year Enrollment

We increased the amount of students we were able to sponsor from 200 to 300 for the 2022 term. Enrollment also included supplies like books and paper.

Solar Panels provide Nighttime Lighting for Students Studying for National Exams

We provided solar panels to a local school in Cankuzo, which now provides nighttime lighting for students to be able to study for their national exams. Four other schools now send their students to this facility for extra nighttime studies after seeing the difference it has made for the first set of students.

Continued NGO partnerships with Oxfam, Action Aid and Imiparec

Umwizero continued working with NGO’s, including ACTION AID, OXFAM and IMIPAREC in youth development projects, which were also supported by European Union countries.  75 girls and boys were trained in computer skills, sewing and mechanics. 65 of these students were able to pass their final exam and receive equipment needed to start a business in their respective field.

New Cankuzo Community Center

Umwizero opened a new Community Center in the village of Cankuzo, which is serving as storage for agricultural harvest from four groups of 25 farmers. It is also being used as an adult school with training on sewing machines and bicycle mechanics.

Computer Skills and Entrepreneurial Training

Umwizero continues to build programs that teach entrepreneurial skills to young people who have finished school, but who may still lack knowledge in computer skills. Umwizero offers this training in software basics free of charge.

Computer & Software Training

Umwizero is dedicated to giving hope to young single women, especially those who have dropped out of school because of unwanted pregnancies and receive no financial support from their children’s father. We provide them with a means to take care of themselves and their children through skills training on sewing machines.