NEWSLETTER: Collaborating on Agriculture Development in Burundi

As you might recall, we believe the greatest need for development in Burundi is agriculture development and the greatest opportunity for development in Burundi is agriculture development. This Newsletter is all about collaborating on agriculture development; collaboration between and among the Free Methodist Church of Burundi, Hope Africa University, Friends of Hope Africa University and the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund. We often tell our project beneficiaries that Together We’re Stronger and the same is true for organizations.

The first section of the Newsletter, provides some background on the collaboration on agriculture development that has already taken place. The second section highlights meeting with the new Rector of Hope Africa University and the prospects for more collaboration and doing more and doing better on agriculture development. The third section describes the Foundations for Farming Program; an impressive agriculture development program for community farmers, and the Hope Africa University and Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund’s visit to their agriculture training centre, a corn field and a composting site.

Background on Collaboration

As far back as 2012, the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund (the Haley McCready Fund) became an agriculture development fund. Now, the Free Methodist Church of Burundi (the Church), Hope Africa University (the University) and Friends of Hope Africa University (Friends) are all involved in agriculture development. Through Memoranda of Understanding, the Church and the Haley McCready Fund became Partner Organizations to the University’s Agriculture Program (June 2020). In 2021, the United States Advisory Committee of the Haley McCready Fund encouraged Dr. John McCready, Founder and Program Director, to explore the possibilities and opportunities of collaborating on agriculture development with the Church, the University and Friends. There have been some important developments.

  • In a Bulletin, the Haley McCready Fund indicated that the University still needs to develop the missing but critical Agriculture Outreach and Extension Program with national reach and national impact; a program that involves collaboration with internal and external partners and has physical presence throughout Burundi (May 2021)
  • In another Bulletin, the Haley McCready Fund stated, “Developing the critical collaborative Agriculture Extension Program refers to developing collaborative Agriculture Extension Services for community farmers in their own fields throughout Burundi: (1) accessible practical training on modern more productive techniques; (2) accessible practical demonstration of modern more productive techniques; and, (3) accessible ongoing, follow-up support for using modern more productive techniques” (September 2022)
  • At the request of the Rector, Dr. John McCready of the Haley McCready Fund developed and distributed a research proposal for the University to conduct a national Agriculture Community Needs Assessment (2022)
  • Through a collaborative planning process, the Church, the University, Friends and the Haley McCready Fund planned and held a collaborative Agriculture Development Workshop (February 2023)
  • With the knowledge and support of the University, the Haley McCready Fund has attracted and recruited 11 volunteer Project Managers who are Graduates of the University’s Agriculture Program (2023 and 2024)
  • With the knowledge and support of the University, the Haley McCready Fund has attracted and recruited more than 20 Agriculture Program Graduates to serve as volunteer Advisors to existing Haley McCready Fund agriculture development projects (2023 and 2024)
  • With the knowledge of the Church and the University and involvement of the Head of the Agriculture Program, the Haley McCready Fund began developing and promoting a proposal for critical enhancements to University’s Agriculture Program Internship (2022 to 2024)
  • In a meeting, the Rector of the University accepted and approved a proposal to enhance the University’s Agriculture Program Internship (February 2024)

Positive Prospects for More Collaboration 

As of March, Hope Africa University has a new Rector; Rev., Dr., Col. Servilien NITUNGA. Since the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund works in association and collaboration with the Free Methodist Church of Burundi and Hope Africa University; a good working relationship with the Rector is critical to our success.

Rector Servilien NITUNGA

In addition to my usual development work, my aims for my last trip to Burundi were as follows.

  •  Get to know the new Rector, his vision and his priorities
  •  Get to know how we can best serve the Church and University
  •  Develop a strong working partnership on development priorities

Soon after I arrived at Hope Africa University in May, I had an introductory meeting with Rector Servilien NITUNGA. When I arrived at the Rector’s office, I was surprised and honoured that the Rector included the University’s senior staff members: Vice-Rector, Dr. Edouard NIYONGABO; Director of Pedagogy, Dr. Simon NGENDAKUMANA; and, Director of Administration and Finance, Rev. Vital NGENDUKU (the Director of Research, Dr. Bosco BASHANGWA MPOZI, was in Belgium).

The Rector was friendly, warm and welcoming. As is my practice, I took two copies of a written agenda for the meeting; however, the agenda for the meeting just unfolded on its own but I gave a copy of the agenda to the Rector at the end of the meeting.

To my stated aims of wanting to get to know the new Rector and his priorities, Dr. NITUNGA provided information on his impressive background, education, experiences and achievements. On priorities, the Rector intends to give priority to research (action research and evaluation I hope) and development.

I was pleased to understand that the Rector knows about the Haley McCready Fund and our impressive work in organizing and working effectively with community farmers and involving the University’s Agriculture Program Graduates as volunteer Project Managers (11) and Project Advisors (more than 20). Most importantly, I was delighted to learn about the Rector’s vision and new directions for agriculture and community development in Burundi.  As I understand, Hope Africa University will be more attentive to Facing (and Addressing and Taking Action on) African Realities and integrating the priorities of the Government, the Church and the Burundian communities and Burundian community people.

Although the meeting focussed on general topics, I have the understanding that the new Rector will provide priority support to development and, especially, to agriculture development. I now anticipate early attention and implementation of some much-needed enhancements to the Agriculture Program Internship, ensuring the students have practical training, community involvement and direct experience in working with and for community farmers and community farming in their home communes. The University will be developing a training centre in the area where the pigs are kept and the farming is done. In addition to research and education of students, the Rector wants the University’s animal husbandry and farming areas to reach out and become directly involved in agriculture development with community farmers in the surrounding communities.

Based on the Rector’s comments, I anticipate that through the Agriculture Program, the Agriculture Graduates and the future regional training centres and partnerships, the Church, the University and the Haley McCready Fund will collaborate in reaching out and extending agriculture development to community farmers and community farming projects in the students’ home communes and throughout all of Burundi.

A Welcoming Meeting

I was impressed with the new Rector; Rev., Dr., Col. Servilien NITUNGA. I believe the Rector will support continuing collaboration with John McCready, the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund and collaboration on enhancing the Agriculture Program Internship and the development of an Agriculture Outreach and Extension Program aimed at community farmers and community farming programs and projects.

Foundations for Farming Program

Thanks to recently married Lauren (Chudnovsky) Anderson, I have been able to establish ongoing contact with personnel who are doing impressive agriculture development work. Hope for Tomorrow Global is partnering with the City Gate Church in promoting and implementing Foundations for Farming; a program very much like Farming God’s Way. Hope for Tomorrow Global is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and is currently working in Burundi; “one of the poorest and hungriest nations in the world.” The Founder and a Trustee for Hope for Tomorrow Global is Donna Bloomfield who lives in Burundi.

Donna Bloomfield

The main contact for the Bujumbura-based City Gate Church and the Foundations for Farming Program is Murungwa (John) IRAKOZE.

Murungwa (John) IRAKOZE
Hope for Tomorrow Global and City Gate Church are enabling hundreds of families to learn how to feed themselves and be lifted from poverty by teaching them the Foundations for Farming.

We are supporting around 200 vulnerable families, who are among the poorest of the poor. We have been teaching them how to feed themselves and become food secure by training them in Foundations for Farming, which results in greatly increased yields (6 x the national average). To help alleviate poverty and eradicate hunger across Burundi, we are now offering this training to many others across the nation (bolding added).

Foundations for Farming has an impressive, highly functional training centre in Rubirizi named the Eden Centre.

Eden Centre
John and Donna at the Eden Centre with Community Farmers

Visit to Agriculture Training Centre, Corn Field and Composting

Led by Rector, Dr. Servilien NITUNGA, the University representatives included Vice-Rector, Dr. Edouard NIYONGABO; Director of Research, Dr. Bosco BASHANGWA MPOZI; and, Agriculture Program Head, Mr. Cyprien NTUNZWENIMANA. The Haley McCready Fund was represented by the Founder and Program Director, Dr. John  McCready and Program Director, Rev. Dieudonne IRAMBONA. We started at the Eden Centre with a presentation and discussion on the Foundations for Farming program.

Lead Presenter, Murungwa (John) IRAKOZE
Listening to Presentation at the Training Centre

John IRAKOZE presents very well; he is knowledgeable, highly informative and he has a confident, relaxed approach.

John Presenting on the Foundations for Farming Program

In addition to speaking clearly, the presentation was supported by a big banner, photographs and professional quality, clear and attractive PowerPoint slides.

Well Supported Presentation

The Foundations for Farming Program provides training and the use of land for community farmers. The focus is on corn and beans. The corn is planted so there are two stalks growing together in neat rows with consistent distance between the stalks and between the rows. There is mulching (God’s Blanket) and fertilizing with compost. This approach results in much larger harvests than the common traditional way of cultivating corn and other crops. Before leaving the training centre for the corn field and the composting, we had the usual “family” photograph.

Training Centre Attendees and Participants

At the corn field, we could see the nice tidy rows, mulching and the tall, green productive stalks.

Rector Examining and Discussing the Corn
Beneficiary Testimony by a Community Farmer
Got to Compost
Presenting to Guests on Composting
Emphasizing the Value of Composting; Better and Affordable

Rector, Servilien NITUNGA thanked the Foundations for Farming personnel for a great informative visit and indicated he was impressed what they are doing for community farmers. The Rector indicated that he expects there will be additional opportunities for the University to collaborate and partner with the Foundations for Farming Program and other agriculture development programs and organizations.

Group Photograph and Goodbye and Good Wishes

Summary

My last trip to Burundi; May into June, was wonderful; it was a great introduction to the new Rector and a great introduction to the his vision, priorities and plans. I am exceedingly impressed with the new Rector; Rev., Dr., Col. Servilien NITUNGA. At the beginning of my visit, I was very well received by the Rector and the University’s senior staff members. I met with the Rector three times and the Rector, Vice-Rector, Research Director and Agriculture Program Head agreed to making an onsite visit to the Foundations for Farming Program; its agriculture training centre, a corn field and a composting site.

Rector Servilien NITUNGA

During my visit, the Rector said some very strong, encouraging, motivating and inspiring statements to me about a continuing role for Dr. John McCready and the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund. He made me feel that we are appreciated, wanted and needed to advance the University’s development plans and priorities, especially in collaborative agriculture development. When I told him that he made me feel like I am part of the senior team, he responded, “You are a member of the team.” On the personal side, the Rector honoured by me by inviting me to attend the Dowry Celebration for his daughter.

Because of the new directions, the Rector encouraged me to return to Burundi a bit earlier than usual.  Accordingly, I am returning at the beginning of September and staying into October. I am excited about working with new Rector and the senior staff members on doing more and doing better on development for the University and Burundi.

Please consider investing in collaborative agriculture development and helping us do even more and do even better by making a donation, http://haleymccreadyfund.com/u-s-donations/.