In this very challenging year, we have moved through the season for giving thanks (Thanksgiving) and we have entered the season for giving gifts (Giving Tuesday, Christmas).
A SEASON FOR GIVING GIFTS
In our last Newsletter, we thanked all of our readers and, especially, our previous donors for your interest in and support for the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund during the past 11 years (the first two development grants for development projects were provided in 2011). This Newsletter is designed to encourage continued gift giving and increased gift giving to the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund (HMODF) by highlighting the realities in Burundi and the results and benefits of our development work in Burundi.
Yes, we strongly believe that donations to the HMODF represent direct investments in development that address the realities and produce real results and real benefits. My name is Prisca KWIZERA. I am a widow. Before I joined in this association, I was lonely, desperate and hopeless. But when I was welcomed into this association, my life changed because I got hope and a new family. I am always happy for my new sisters. I feel important now. When I need money, I ask for a loan from our association and I attend to what I need. Today I have very nice looking clothes. When I am with other women in the community or in ceremonies, you cannot tell that I am a poor, vulnerable woman. I now have shoes. Nowadays, every member of the association holds a health assurance card. We are changing our mindsets and we are holding our own future.
Yes, if you are able and willing, we are asking you to consider giving a gift, making a donation to the HMODF (see Donations tab above).
INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENT IN BURUNDI
Project Proposals, Grants and Projects
The HMODF development work is pursued by announcing and posting Calls for Proposals and providing one-time, start-up grants in support of project proposals submitted by students or graduates of Hope Africa University. The proposals are reviewed and evaluated by the Burundi Advisory Committee members and the best proposals are recommended for a development grant. The grants are not giveaways or welfare; the grants are single, one-time, start-up investments in development (see the list of our development projects, their start dates and their Project Managers at the end of this Newsletter).
The grants are provided to develop the capacity and improve the lives of needy Burundian people, usually poor, vulnerable women, who join a self-help association and work together on income-generating activities so that the project associations and project beneficiaries become self-supporting, self-managing, self-governing and self-sustaining. The development project income-generating components include raising and selling animals, cultivating and selling crops and organizing and providing microfinancing.
Yes, we strongly suggest that you consider the unique value of our small but powerful development model; it works, not on a huge scale, but it works in a simple, direct and personal way that produces impressive results and provides significant, sustainable benefits for our poor beneficiaries and their families.
According to Prosper NIYONGERE, Project Manager at Bukirasazi Commune, Gitega Province, Jacqueline SINGIRANKABO is one of our association members; she is an orphan without a father or mother. Before joining our group, she was isolated from others.
To make matters worse, the first goat given to her died. The association gave her another. Now she has a goat again. She actively participates in the savings and credit activities. Now, she can buy clothes and pay for some health care. Her esteem is raised to another level. She says joining our group is of utmost importance to her.
Yes, if you are willing and able, we are asking you to consider giving a gift, making a donation to the HMODF (see Donations tab above).
Consider the Realities
The Burundian realities include being one of the poorest countries in the world; a very small, densely-populated, high birth rate country with a very young population of 12 million people. Burundi is an agrarian country with more than 90% of population living in rural areas as farmers with very small, overworked, hand-cultivated plots, using low production, traditional methods. As an under-developed country, Burundi experiences tremendous poverty, famine, serious food insecurity and tremendous malnutrition (60% chronic malnutrition rate among children). We have come to believe that Burundi’s greatest need is agriculture development and Burundi’s greatest opportunity is agriculture development. Not surprisingly, almost all of our projects are agriculture development projects (96%) that are involved in animal husbandry, crop cultivation and microfinancing.
Consider the Results
At this point, we have done a lot and we have very good results.
- We have conducted 9 Calls for Proposals, inviting any interested student or graduate of Hope Africa University to submit a proposal
- We have conducted 2 Special Calls for Proposals for graduates of the Community Development Master’s Program
- We have provided 25 one-time, start-up grants (the Burundian equivalent of $1,500.00 USD) to 25 small development projects
- We have provided our first two Restoration Grants to two projects that experienced flooding that devastated crops and disease that killed animals
- We have provided community development experience for 22 voluntary student and graduate Project Managers
We have done a lot and we have impressive results.
- We have at total of 25 active development projects; 21 original projects and 4 extension projects (spawned from 2 of the original projects)
- We have 21 original development projects and 4 extension agriculture development projects
- We have 24 project associations; 20 original project associations and 4 extension project associations
- We have a total of 25 active projects and 24 of the active projects (96%) are active agriculture development projects
Consider the Benefits
Our development projects have produced impressive benefits and our Newsletters are full of success stories.
- Our development projects currently have 332 beneficiaries, mostly poor, vulnerable women
- Our agriculture development projects currently have a total of 488 animals (goats, pigs and 1 cow)
- Our agriculture projects have sold 273 animals to generate income for the beneficiaries
- Our agriculture projects have cultivated a wide variety and a huge number of crops (vegetables and grains)
- Our agriculture projects have shared a portion of their harvests with their beneficiaries
- Our agriculture projects have sold a portion of the harvests to generate income for the association to continue with crop cultivation
- Our projects have developed microfinancing to provide beneficiaries with opportunities to benefit from income-generating activities
Beneficiaries, Association Members
The beneficiaries are members of the project associations. The associations are expected to become self-supporting, self-managing, self-governing and self-sustaining. Beyond conducting the business of development, the assocations become important self-help groups with members who become friends and share socilal problems and help each other.
Animal Husbandry: Goats and Pigs
All of the animals are cared for by the beneficiaries and, when necesary, an animal is sold to generate income for the association or individual association members and their families.
Crop Cultivation
The beneficiaries cultivate crops together in rented fields and a portion of the harvests are shared among the associaion members and another portion is sold so the association can continue with the cost of continuing with crop cultivation.
Microfinancing
The associations develop capital that is used for loans that are used for the individual members to be involved in income-generating activities.
GIVING GIFTS AND MAKING DONATIONS
Thus far, we have received donations that have allowed us to continue investing in the development of poor people in Burundi. Fortunately, we have been able to continue by attracting donations without making constant or frequent appeals for money. Our Newsletters focus on our development activities and the benefits for our beneficiaries rather than on marketing or fundraising. Although we are happy to receive gifts/donations at any time, once a year, we try to acquire more donors and more donations.
We want to be able to continue our development work and do more development work; we want to be able to continue to provide more start-up grants for more self-supporting projects that will provide more real benefits and improve the lives of more beneficiaries and their families. Accordingly, we are asking you to consider giving financial help to develop more projects and enable more Burundian people to lift themselves out of poverty. Positive results and benefits are important all the time but they are even more important during challenging times.
Please keep in mind that all of your gift; all of your donation, will go directly to development of and development for poor beneficiaries in Burundi (no administration fees or expenses). Your gift, your donation represents a one-time, start-up investment in development and our projects become self-supporting and continue to produce life-improving benefits year after year.
f you are able and willing, please make another donation to help allow us to extend and expand the development results and benefits; please allow us to invest in more start-up development grants for the important, life-improving benefits for more poor beneficiaries and their families.
Please donate now; please donate within this giving season and before the end of this calendar year and this taxation year. We invite you to donate and we invite you to consider encouraging some of your family members and/or friends to donate.
Donation Link: http://haleymccreadyfund.com/u-s-donations/
Another way of making a donation to the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund and development in Burundi is to buy one or more copies of a book on building an indigenous church in Burundi; a self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing organization.
- McCready, John (Ed.). (2015). John Wesley Haley and Building the Indigenous Church: Reflections on Self Determination in Twentieth Century Burundi. Toronto: Clements Publishing
All of the proceeds from the sale of the book are given directly to the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund. When you buy a book, you provide direct support and investment into the development of the indigenous people of Burundi. If you have not yet bought a copy of the book, please consider buying one. If you have bought and read the book, thank you, but please consider buying additional copies to give to other people or groups.
Link – To buy a book in the United States
For accountability and transparency purposes, we are pleased to include a copy of the receipt for depositing $1,500.00 USD into the HMODF account; the same amount we provide as one-time, start-up development grants.
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND PROJECT MANAGERS
2021
- Supporting Vulnerable Women of Rubirizi, Mutimbuzi by Cultivation Crops and Breeding Goats, Viola NSHEMEZIMANA
2019
- Supporting and Sustaining the Livelihood of Widows and Orphans at Rubirizi, Barthelemy MINANI
- Pigs Husbandry, Potatoes and Cabbage Plants in Kizunga Colline in Nyabiraba Commune, Désiré NSENGIYUMVA
- Supporting Widows and Divorced Women in Breeding Goats and Cultivating Rice at Musenyi in Mpanda Commune, Epithace NDUWAYO
- Breeding Pigs and Raising Sweet Potatoes for Widows from Nyabiraba Commune, Raro Hill, Bujumbura Province, Juvenal HAVYARIMANA
2018
- Supporting Poor and Vulnerable Women by Raising Pigs and Cultivating Crops at Kajaga in Mutimbuzi Commune, Aimé Fidèle NINGEJEJE
- Supporting Batwa Women in Breeding Goats and Cultivating Rice at Rubirizi in Mutimbuzi Commune, Barthelemy MINANI (formerly Guillaume GAHUNGU)
- Breeding Goats and Cultivating Crops for Vulnerable Women from Mihigo Colline, Kayanza Province, Dieudonné IRAMBONA
- Farming Potatoes and Breeding Goats in Bukirasazi Commune, Gitega Province, Prosper NIYONGERE
2017
- Women Shopkeepers in Buterere Zone, Bujumbura Mairie Province, Audace MPAWENIMANA
- Raising Pigs and Cultivating Crops in Nyamburye Zone, Isale Commune, Louise NTIRANYIBAGIRA (formerly Desire CIZA)
- Supporting Poor Rural Women through Pig Farming in Mutimvuzi Commune, Bujumbura Rural Province, formerly Elise NUWAYO
2015
- Microfinancing and Crops for Poor Women at Mirango in Kamenge Commune, (formerly the Producing Eggs to Support Aged Poor Women project), Ernest MANIRAKIZA
2014
- Making Bricks and Cultivating Rice in Mugaruro Quarter, Buterere Commune, Audace MPAWENIMANA
- Microfinancing for Women in Giharo, Rutana (formerly Farming Peanuts with Landless Women in Giharo, Rutana), Barthelemy Minani
- Goats and Crops for Women at Matara in NYABIRABA District (formerly Savings and Loans: Christian Initiative for Women’s Development in Gatumba), Christine KAMIRAMEYA
- Breeding Goats and Cultivating Crops at Nyambuye Zone in Isale Commune, Louise NTIRANYIBAGIRA (formerly Desire CIZA)
2013
- Development of Vegetable Culture for the Self-Financing of IAP Twubake, Louise NTIRANYIBAGIRA (formerly Anicet NYANDWI)
- Improving Lives of Poor People through Farming Crops at MUSENYI in GITEGA (formerly the Farming Rice in Gihanga Commune project), Ezechiel MANIRAKIZA
- Improving Food Security through Chickens at Karurama, Fidèle NIYOYITA
2012
- Farming Goats and Crops at Gatwe, Jean Claude NGENDAKUMANA
- Welding Workshop at Buterere, Kilongo Banyakwa
- Improved Food Security at Kabezi, Louise NTIRANYIBAGIRA (formerly Marie Nadège TWAGIRAYEZU and Anicet NYANDWI)
2011
- Tailoring for Women at Kinama, Christine KAMIRAMEYA
- Farming Goats for Women in Karusi Commune (originally the Pig Farming at Muyebe project), Evelyne KANYANA and Eddyne IRANKUNDA
Donation Link: http://haleymccreadyfund.com/u-s-donations/