Mr Donatien Nzokirishatse lives with a disability, limping in his legs. He teaches carpentry and welding at the National Center for Socio-Professional Rehabilitation. He is also leader of the Association of Disabled Joiners and Welders, which is in the process of agreement.
“We have the skills, the knowledge and the technical know-how. We just lack the support in terms of financial resources to make the most of these assets at our disposal,” says Mr. Donatien, speaking of people with disabilities.
Fort Barachel aims to help improve the lives of this category of people, most of whom are stigmatized and led to believe that they can do nothing with their lives because of their disability. There have even been reports of families hiding their children because they are disabled.
Mr Donatien Nzokirishatse handing school materials to a young girl of a parent living with disability
Struggling with stigma: Elisa’s story, a four years old boy
In the Newsletter released in November 2023, we talk about Irakoze Elisa’s story, a four years child living in Gisyo, Ntahangwa commune in Bujumbura Southern suburbs. He can’t stand up nor sit. He was born in good condition but things changed at 5months. He got an infection which ended up with cebropsy. His mother noticed that the child’s neck and back can’t stand and consequently the child couldn’t sit. She went to the hospital and they told her that they can’t do anything for her.
Things have not been easy for Joselyne Irankunda, Elisa’s mother due to stigma as she testifies. “When it happened to have some misunderstanding with a neighbor, the common insult was ‘you conceived a handicapped child”. And it was depressing for me” she testifies.
Back then, Ella Chanelle Ininahazwe, Founder and Executive Director of AGH which helps with special needs technical expertise in the Hope Givers consortium believed there is still hope for Elisa. “We’re starting to teach him some exercises to help him learn how to sit, use his hands, how to stand. Little by little we may get some functions coming back” she stated.
Hope Givers: bringing hope to people with special needs
“Hope Givers” is a consortium of three organizations – namely Fort Barachel (FB), Jars of Love Community (JLC) and AGH (Association pour la Gestion du Handicap – Disability Management Association) – which came together to address the challenges people with special needs are facing, together with their families, in their communities. We work in 4 provinces, namely Bujumbura Mayorship, Bururi, Mwaro and Bujumbura.
In Burundi, people with special needs face many challenges. Some are stigmatized to the point parents hide their children born with some kind of disabilities.
Parents with special needs came to receive school materials for their children on Back to School 2024 campaign
In a recent meeting aimed at strengthening the links between these organizations and to discuss ways to sustain support activities and give hope to people with disabilities, Pastor Patrick NIYONGABO, the new President of FB, reaffirmed his commitment to revitalize the activities of Fort Barachel Burundi programs by making a contribution to supporting people with disabilities by placing them in VSLAs or groups to help them initiate their IGAs.
If you feel called upon to bring your assistance to this category of the population, don’t hesitate to contact us so that together we can build these hearts, some of which are truly bruised by stigma.