MURAMVYA June 30th (ABP) – The first lady of the country, Mrs. Angeline Ndayishimiye, through the Office of the First Lady for Development (OPDD), with the financial support of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Burundi, was on Monday, June 27, 2022, at the “Notre Dame de l’Annonciation” high school and the “Notre Dame du Sourire” technical high school of Bukeye in Muramvya province, for the same cause of raising awareness among pupils on the behavior to adopt in the school environment for their better future.
In that awareness workshop for young people and adolescents on wisdom, leadership, reproductive health and well-being, which began last week, Mrs. Ndayishimiye asked young girls from the two boarding schools to avoid debauchery and to take ownership of the theme “Ingeso mbi oya, ku bwa kazoza kanje keza” (No to bad behavior for my better future), in order to continue their studies in dignity and in good health.
Inspired by the first epistle of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, chapter 6: 12-20 and the book of Proverbs 3: 1-26, Mrs. Ndayishimiye let the young girls know that not all things are suitable even if they are permitted, urging them to shun fornication because, she continued to say, their bodies are body parts of Christ.
According to the country’s first lady, debauchery is a sin that leads to bad behavior such as prostitution and clandestine abortion. It also causes diseases such as infections, obstetric fistulas and HIV/AIDS contamination, to name but a few. Mrs. Ndayishimiye finally called on Burundian youth to be responsible by avoiding debauchery so that their dreams are a reality.
In his speech, the representative of the World Health Organization, Dr Xavier Crespin, warmly thanked the government of Burundi for its strong commitment to strengthening interventions in the field of health, but also access to basic social services to all in general and to the most vulnerable in particular.
WHO attaches great importance to everything related to the promotion of health, well-being, protection and curative prevention of the people. WHO is happy to be at the side of the first lady of the country whenever necessary, to support her in her multiple efforts to promote the well-being of the people, the education of young people, health, peace and development in Burundi, Dr. Xavier said.
The WHO representative in Burundi took the opportunity to congratulate the first lady of the country for her recent distinction at the African level and at the level of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OPDAD), for all her efforts which she uses for the cause of the welfare of the people. He ended his remarks by renewing WHO’s commitment to support the government of Burundi but also the first lady in her multiple and multifaceted efforts.
The assistant to the Minister of National Education and Scientific Research, Mr. Herménégilde Burikukiye, underlined that the Ministry in charge of Education is delighted with the support of the first lady in the field of education, an eloquent sign testifying to the work in synergy as repeated many times by the President of the Republic of Burundi that “Together, everything is possible”.
Since the holidays are drawing near, he called on pupils to avoid places known as ligalas, but rather to help their parents with household and rural work and to take part in development work organized by the authorities in their areas.
In his welcoming address, the governor of Muramvya province, Mr. Diomède Nzambimana, thanked the first lady of the country for the activities she has already carried out in that province for young schoolchildren and out of school children as well as the vulnerable.
A certain Libère Gikerahaga testified that he addicted to drug use when he was a teenager until he lost 40 kg in one year. To that end, he urged young people never to taste because touch equals to play. The same is true for a single mother by the name of Jacqueline Ngendakuriyo, who dropped out of school after she became pregnant as a result of early love. She asks teenage girls to refrain from debauchery for their well-being.
Note that in addition to her teachings, the First Lady of the Republic of Burundi granted a donation of 300 mattresses, footballs, basketballs and volleyballs as well as jerseys to the two high schools in Muramvya province.