BUJUMBURA January 9th (ABP) – The “Urisanze” association contributes enormously to the total care of people in advanced age, this is indicated by Mrs. Béatrice Niragira, chairperson of that association located in the urban commune of Ntahangwa, Kinama zone, during an interview she gave to a check by ABP on Friday, January 6, 2023.
According to Mrs. Niragira, the Urisanze association works to support and accompany the elderly and especially vulnerable people aged 60 and over. She added that they started this association being three in number in 1998 during the crisis in Burundi.
She said that the World Food Program (WFP) had granted them food aid which had enabled them to feed 150 to 300 men and women in advanced ages each month, in the zones of the city of Bujumbura.
She thus pointed out that they have improved and are currently working in the interior of the country, in 13 provinces and that they manage to take care of 1,800 people per year throughout the national territory.
The chairperson of the Urisanze association further indicated that in Carama, they have a house with the capacity to accommodate 15 old women and wishes to build another for old men in the same place, stressing that the project is underway.
She thus specified that the members of the association are 35 in number who each contribute up to 5000 BIF per month. She reported other well-wishers who accompany them in the defense and accompaniment of those people in advanced ages, by providing soap, food, clothes and the necessary materials.
Mrs. Niragira took the opportunity to thank the Government of Burundi for its financial support of 900,000 Burundi francs per year, asking to continue its financial and medical support even if it has a lot of work to do. She also pointed out that even though those elderly people have health insurance cards, there are those with chronic illnesses that require specialist doctors.
Mrs. Niragira also called on young Burundians to show a sign of love towards the elderly and even towards their parents. She wants the young people to join the association so that, in the moments to come, they too can carry out those tasks of supporting and accompanying the elderly, saying that this is where the blessing lies.