CIBITOKE, January 3rd (ABP) – As part of its vision of a world where every child, young person or woman, regains their dignity”, the “Marayika” association organized, on Friday, December 29, 2023, at Kaburantwa in Buganda commune, Cibitoke province, a special day, to celebrate Christmas and Happy New Year, with around a hundred children from the most vulnerable families, along with their parents.
According to the national coordinator of the “Marayika” association, Déo Ndayishimiye, the aim of the gesture was to give hope to children from marginalized, most disadvantaged families, so that they feel more comfortable and integrated in the community, like other children.
He also said that the objective of his organization is to help the community, and especially young people who use creative resources, through support in finding shelter, health care and schooling for children at risk.
Marginalized communities must be empowered, according to him, through income-generating activities, to become self-sufficient and access their fundamental rights.
He gave advice to young people and unmarried mothers in particular, to never fall into the mistakes of their past.
Mr. Ndayishimiye did not forget to return to some activities already carried out by his association, in particular, the distribution of school materials to around a hundred children, at the start of this school year; community awareness sessions in Buganda commune on behavior change with regard to personal and clothing hygiene.
In collaboration with partners, such as the Burundi Red Cross (CRB), awareness-raising events took place on hygiene and sanitation, and especially on the ten criteria for becoming a model household.
As for the representative of the CRB, Jean Marie Vianney Ngendakumana, the Marayika association came to support vulnerable children and their families, which takes the form of assistance and supervision activities for children and young people from vulnerable families, to help them with resilience, in order to become self-sufficient like others.
He praised the partnership of the Marayika association and the Red Cross, and promised to continue raising awareness among the community in general, and the most vulnerable in particular, to become model households.
Note that the beneficiaries of the activities of the Marayika association took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate their recovery, thanks to the support of the organization, through the return to school for unmarried mothers, school kits, health insurance cards to the neediest, and others.