BUJUMBURA, April 25th (ABP) – Burundi’s ambition to become “an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060” demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring the well-being of the people. For that vision to become a reality, social and behavioural change among the people must be a priority, according to Désiré Bampamenyo, Director of the Centre for trades education (CEM) in the Kinama area of Bujumbura city.
According to him, the provision of quality training and the socio-professional and economic integration of young people are the foundations of the country’s emergence and development. “Burundians think that people go into the trades after failing in other activities. Developed countries are developed thanks to the trades that have been promoted. There can be no development of the country without trades”, pointed out Mr Bampamenyo, adding that that vocational training center has five branches, including sewing, carpentry, welding, office automation and hotel management.
The director of the Kinama CEM also pointed out that that in Burundi, trades should not be looked down upon. Rather, they should be encouraged. According to him, vocational training is often seen as something reserved for less intelligent young people, whereas on the contrary, it is an excellent way of combating unemployment. It enables young people to become self-employed and helps develop the country’s economy, hence the emergence and development of Burundi”, he said.
The vocational centers also have the merit of helping Burundi to move its society towards emergence and development. The Kinama CEM is currently organising open days to change people’s attitudes and encourage them to take up the trades. In addition, 564 young people trained at that vocational training center have already created jobs and provided for their families.
That gesture of social change on the part of those graduates is a good sign of Burundi’s emergence and development,” said Mr Bampamenyo, urging all young people to avoid the ligalas and instead take an interest in vocational training in order to provide for their families and develop the country.
Fabien Vyizigiro, a rice farmer in Bubanza province (north-west Burundi), said that all citizens should be actively involved in making Burundi an emerging and developed country. Agriculture, which supports more than 95% of the Burundian population and is the main pillar of the Burundian economy, should be modernized to increase production, he said.
Growing rice has enabled Mr Vyizigiro to buy a rice mill in Bujumbura. That has enabled him to provide work for more than 30 people.
To underline the point, Mr Vyizigiro reminded the audience that to achieve Burundi’s emergence and development, the people are called upon to change its behaviour by striving to support development projects that contribute to food security.