We are pleased to be able to report and describe some promising progress in collaborative agriculture development for community farmers in Burundi. This Newsletter provides some background information, followed by some significant collaboration with Hope Africa University, Rector Victor BARANTOTA, Agriculture Program Head Cyprien NTUNZWENIMANA and Hope Africa University Agriculture Program Graduates.
BACKGROUND ON COLLABORATION ON AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT
The Free Methodist Church of Burundi (FMCBu), Hope Africa University (HAU) and Friends for Hope Africa University (FHAU or Friends) are now all involved in agriculture development in Burundi. The FMCBu has numerous agriculture development activities in numerous locations throughout Burundi. HAU has developed a two-year academic agriculture program and has 64 recent graduates. FHAU has provided scholarships and other support for the HAU Agriculture Program. Since 2011, the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund (HMODF) has been providing one-time, start-up grants to associations of poor and vulnerable women to pursue agriculture development projects. The HMODF has become an agriculture development fund with 38 active, self-supporting agriculture development projects and the HMODF has enjoyed the benefits of collaborating with the FMCBu, HAU and FHAU.
In February of this year, the Church, the University, Friends and the HMODF worked together to plan and hold a very well-attended, very successful collaborative Agriculture Development Workshop; the Workshop was the first time that all of the agriculture-involved people from the four organizations got together to share information and make connections.
Addressing Community Mobilization and Holistic Transformation, Bishop Déogratias NSHIMIYIMANA provided a powerful presentation on the Christian obligation to reach out and work with the poor.
Executive Secretary, Evariste BIMENYIMANA, provided an overview of the FMCBu Community Mobilization Program and the Agriculture Development Project.
Rector Victor BARANTOTA provided a presentation on Hope Africa University, Facing African Realities and the new two-year Agriculture Program. During his presentation, he looked directly at John McCready, Founder and Program Director of the HMODF, and stated that the University would be working in partnership with the Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund on the development of the critical Agriculture Extension Program. Right after the Workshop, John spoke to the Rector about his statement on working in partnership to develop the Agriculture Extension Program and the Rector said, “Yes, that is my commitment to you!”
President Betty Overton’s presentation was entitled The Goals of the Modern University: A Modest Proposal for HAU’s Agricultural Program. In her presentation she proposed that the University, the Church and the HMODF collaborate on developing the Agriculture Extension Program aimed at capacity development for community farmers and community farming.
At the Workshop, HMODF Founder and Program Director, John McCready; Program Coordinator, Dieudonné IRAMBONA; and, Project Manager, Barthelemy MINANI provided presentations on the HMODF, How It Works and an HMODF Agriculture Community Needs Assessment: Findings and Conclusions.
We know that Burundian community farmers use traditional less productive agriculture methods. We know that simple, modern agriculture methods are much more productive and these methods can be easily taught, learned and used by community farmers. We know that 60% of Burundian children are chronically malnourished. We know that we need to be Facing African Realities through a national Agriculture Extension Program with national reach and national impact on alleviating poverty, increasing agriculture production and food security and decreasing malnutrition, food insecurity and hunger.
The development of the critical collaborative Agriculture Extension Program refers to developing and providing outreach agriculture services for community farmers throughout Burundi: (1) accessible practical training on modern more productive methods; (2) accessible practical demonstration on modern more productive methods; and, (3) accessible ongoing, follow-up support on using modern more productive methods.
The HMODF is committed to working collaboratively with the Church, the University and Friends to develop the critically-needed Agriculture Extension Program and the related Agriculture Extension Services. Some progress in being made and much more needs to be done.
COLLABORATION WITH HAU AGRICULTURE GRADUATES
Working with the knowledge and support of Rector Victor BARANTOTA and the working in close collaboration with the new Agriculture Program Head Cyprien NTUNZWENIMANA, the HMODF has been trying to make connections with the HAU Agriculture Graduates. Through collaborative cooperation, the new Head of the HAU Agriculture Program, Cyprien NTUNZWENIMANA, and our HMODF Program Coordinator, Dieudonné IRAMBONA, have attracted and assisted four HAU Agriculture Program Graduates in becoming HMODF Project Managers in their home communes. Through collaboration organizing onsite visits in their home communes, Cyprien and Dieudonné have connected ten HAU Agriculture Program Graduates to HMODF Projects, Project Managers and Beneficiaries in their home communes.
FOUR HAU AGRICULTURE GRADUATES BECOMING PROJECT MANAGERS:
- New Project Manager: Alfred BIKORIMANA, Cultivating White Potatoes and Cabbage and Breeding Pigs for Vulnerable Women from Gitunga Hill, Muyebe Zone, Kayokwe Commune, Mwaro Province
- New Project Manager: Mathieu NIYONKURU, Cultivating Maize and Soya and Breeding Pigs for Vulnerable Women from Rugombo, Munyika II, Cibitoke Province
- New Project Managers: Nelly SIBOMANA and Christian NIYIBIKUNZE, Supporting Vulnerable Women from Bujumbura Province, Isale Commune, Nyakibande Hill by Cultivating Corn and Beans and Breeding Goats
Mwaro Province, Kayokwe Commune
- Cultivating White Potatoes and Cabbage and Breeding Pigs for Vulnerable Women from Gitunga Hill, Muyebe Zone, Kayokwe Commune, Mwaro Province, HAU Agriculture Graduate and New HMODF Project Manager: Alfred BIKORIMANA
Cibitoke Province, Rugombo Commune
- Cultivating Maize and Soya and Breeding Pigs for Vulnerable Women from Rugombo, Munyika II, Cibitoke Province, HAU Agriculture Graduate and New HMODF Project Manager: Mathieu NIYONKURU
Bujumbura Province, Isale Commune
- Supporting Vulnerable Women from Bujumbura Province, Isale Commune, Nyakibande Hill by Cultivating Corn and Beans and Breeding Goats, HAU Agriculture Graduates and New HMODF Project Managers: Nelly SIBOMANA and Christian NIYIBIKUNZE
TEN HAU AGRICULTURE GRADUATES CONNECTING WITH HMODF PROJECT MANAGERS AND BENEFICIARIES:
- Special Onsite Visitor, New Head of Agriculture Program: Cyprien NTUNZWENIMANA, Project Manager: Prosper NIYONGERE
- Onsite Visitor, Agriculture Graduate: Denise NIBIZI, Project Manager: Prosper NIYONGERE
- Onsite Visitor, Agriculture Graduate: Fredieve NIYONYISHU, Project Manager: Epithace NDUWAYO
- Onsite Visitors, Agriculture Graduates: Nelly SIBORMANA & Christian NIYIBIKUNZE, Acting Project Manager: Dieudonné IRAMBONA
- Onsite Visitor, Agriculture Graduate: Jean Luc NKURUNZIZA, Project Managers: Barthelemy MINANI and Pascasie NIZIGIYIMANA
- Onsite Visitors, Agriculture Graduates: Emmanuel IRANDIHA & Sadi BIGIRIMANA, Project Manager: Fabien BIMENYIMANA
- Onsite Visitor, Agriculture Graduate: Christine NININAHAZWE, Project Manager: Abbie RUBUMBA
- Onsite Visitor, Agriculture Graduate: Christine NININAHAZWE, Project Manager: Dieudonné IRAMBONA
- Onsite Visitor, Agriculture Graduate: Alfred BIKORIMANA, Project Manager: Liliane BUTOYI
Gitega Province, Bukirasazi Commune
- Farming Potatoes and Breeding Goats in Bukirasazi Commune, Project Manager: Prosper NIYONGERE
Special Onsite Visitor, New Head of HAU Agriculture Program: Cyprien NTUNZWENIMANA
Onsite Visitor, HAU Agriculture Graduate: Denise NIBIZI
Bubanza Province, Mpanda Commune
- Supporting Widows and Divorced Women in Breeding Goats and Cultivating Rice at Musenyi in Mpanda Commune, Project Manager: Epithace NDUWAYO
Onsite Visitor, HAU Agriculture Graduate: Fredieve NIYONYISHU
Bujumbura Rural Province, Isale Commune
- Breeding Goats and Cultivating Crops at Nyambuye Zone in Isale Commune, Acting Project Manager: Dieudonné IRAMBONA
Onsite Visitors, HAU Agriculture Graduates: Nelly SIBORMANA and Christian NIYIBIKUNZE
Bujumbura Rural Province, Mutimbuzi Commune
- Supporting Batwa Women in Breeding Goats and Cultivating Rice at Rubirizi in Mutimbuzi Commune, Project Managers: Barthelemy MINANI and Pascasie NIZIGIYIMANA
Onsite Visitor, HAU Agriculture Graduate: Jean Luc NKURUNZIZA
Cibitoke Province, Buganda Commune
- Supporting Vulnerable Women in Cultivating Corn and Breeding Goats at Ndava Hill, Buganda Commune, Cibitoke Province, Project Manager: Fabien BIMENYIMANA
Onsite Visitors, HAU Agriculture Graduates: Emmanuel IRANDIHA and Sadi BIGIRIMANA
Kayanza Province, Kayanza Commune
- Breeding Goats and Cultivating Crops for Vulnerable Women from Mihigo Colline, Kayanza Province, Dieudonné IRAMBONA
Onsite Visitor, HAU Agriculture Graduate: Christine NININAHAZWE
Mwaro Province, Kayokwe Commune
- Supporting Vulnerable Women of Gitunga , Kayokwe Commune, Mwaro Province by Cultivating Crops and Breeding Pigs, Project Manager: Liliane BUTOYI
Onsite Visitor, HAU Agriculture Graduate: Alfred BIKORIMANA
If you would like to invest in agriculture development that works, please visit our donations section; Donations – Haley McCready Outreach and Development Fund (haleymccreadyfund.com).