Helping Girls and Young Women in Bujumbura Slum

Three workshops on trauma healing were done in FWA training room. The dates were November 28-30, 2019; December 26-28, 2019 and January 21-23, 2019.  Participants were women survivors of gender-based violence. A total of 60 women attended the workshops.

Testimonies

My name is Languide. I have been graduated from high school, but I didn’t find a job. As my parents were always quarrelling, I didn’t manage to stay at home in the countryside. I have been jobless for two years. I left home when my father started to attack me complaining that he wasted his money when he paid school fees for a girl.  My heart was so heavy because of his words that I fled from home. When I arrived here in Bujumbura, I had already in mind to marry any man I met because of economic problems. Then I got married to a husband who lied to me that he was still single. I got pregnan, and when my delivery date was close, he left me in the house alone. The owner of the house kicked me out because I had no means to pay the rent. I have suffered a lot before I had my baby. Now, I have managed to run a small business and I we can survive with my kid.

My name is Joselyne. I have been traumatized by what my husband is always doing to me. I now have high blood pressure because of what my husband is doing to me. I have six children. One day he came back home with a second wife and he asked me to leave my home together with all my six children. As I refused, he cut me on my neck with a machete. Another day I received a phone call from his concubine. She told me, “Come and take your dead body.” Actually, my husband had a very serious accident. He stayed at the hospital for three years. He is now disabled. I do my best to feed him. But, in order to give me thanks, he is always insulting me. This is my first day to tell people how I live with my husband. I have been very quiet because I feel I have suffered a lot.

Self-help groups

From November 2019 to December 2019, FWA has initiated seven new self-help groups for a total of 155 women. On December 31, 2019, we had a total of 61 self-help groups for 1435 women.

The table below shows a list of four SHGs who shared their annual benefits at the end of December 2019. The purpose was to enjoy the New Year with their respective families.

Name of SHG           Capital     Interest    Individual interest   Individual interest in US$

DUFATANEMUNDA   1,895,400      800,000            32,000                             17

DUSHIGIKIRANE      7,354,300   4,563,000          169,000                             91

IZERE                       5,750,000   3,750,000          150 000                             81

TURASHOBOYE       3,767,000    1,500,000            60,000                            32

Caring for HIV Positive People

FWA Has also purchased medicine and reagents to care for HIV positive people. At the end of December 2019, we had 330 patients under retro drugs followed at NTASEKA clinic, including 267 women and 63 men.

 An Ultrasound at Ntaseka clinic

On November 12, 2019 a meeting was held at Ntaseka clinic with pregnant women who are doing antenatal consultations at NTASEKA Clinic. 32 pregnant women were present. We started with the introduction and the description of FWA and Ntaseka clinic. The purpose of this meeting was the announcement the reception of an ultrasound machine which will facilitate pregnant women in Kamenge and its surroundings. All other prenatal check-ups were available except for Obstetric Ultrasound. Many thanks to John Gould Family Foundation for thisdonation!                       

In the month of November, four women came for the ultrasound and 11 came in December 2019.