The immersion journey: YOUCA ambassador's in Burundi !

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Children and youth have a right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable neighbourhood, where they can develop themselves, build a network of like-minded peers and make their mark on society. Through the activist use of art, 'artivism', Spring Communities, KIYO and YOUCA support youth in Burundi to help them transform their own neighbourhood into a stimulating place where dreams for the future become tangible. Belgian youth can also join hands in all sorts of creative ways to improve their own neighbourhoods !

YOUCA ACTION DAY

During the YOUCA Action Day in Belgium, more than 15,000 youth annually commit to working for a company, organisation, government, or private individual for one day. The wages each youth earns, 60 euros, go to strong youth projects worldwide. This year, the wages of these committed youth will go to KIYO’s co-project with Spring Communities from Burundi, centered around the right to a safe and healthy living environment.

In the context of this year’s project, four YOUCA youth Ambassadors and one YOUCA chaperone travelled from Belgium to Burundi from the 8th to the 19th of July, in order to get to know the project better, the local youth involved and their culture.

“ In Belgium there are not a lot of consequence [linked to climate change], although there are some. But if you see here with the lakes rising water levels, the floods, the landslides, there are a lot more consequences. So it isn’t fair. ” - Jasmijn

ACTIVITIES AND LEARNING

During the exchange period, KIYO worked together along with YOUCA and our local partner in Burundi, Spring Communities on educating the youth and raising awareness on the challenges of climate change and offer them tools to take action and bring their own contributions.

KIYO Burundi organised a workshop about Climate Change & Injustice to increase the youth’s knowledge and understanding of the origins of climate change, the shared and unequal responsibilities in this phenomenon, the consequences and the inequalities that they reinforce. Through a range of games and activities, the focus was put on the youth exchanges in order for each of them to be able to form their own opinion and argument, and then share it, debate it, challenge it and, ultimately, develop and strengthen their knowledge and ability to explain, communicate and defend their ideas.

The workshop also unlocked the youth's imaginationary power in the search for solutions against climate change and the consequences it is having on the lives of everyone, and specifically the effects in Burundi. In addition, colonisation and the links that can be made between Burundi's history and its current environmental situation were also addressed.

The youth had an enriching experience with besides the workshop a myriad of other activities such as: hiking in a nature parc where they got to talk with their guide about conservation and animals, learning about recycling plastic waste into art at Spring Communities artistic center, and of course learning about Burundian traditions.

The youth from Belgium also went to visit the families of the Burundian youth in the project. This way they managed to learn a lot about their daily lives, life in Bujumbura and about the project goals. During these visits, they also went to visit the local market, learnt more about how the family dynamics are organised and they helped with household chores such as preparing the family meals together and helping to clean up. The youth bonded over, dancing, singing and playing football together. The youth also bonded over, dancing, singing and playing football together.

“ I was excited to spend 10 days with these new friends from Belgium. Before our first encounter I wasn’t sure how we would spend so many days together with youth we do not know. But things where so great. We discussed, exchanged ideas, danced and sang. We did so much together and became real friends. Saying goodbye was the hardest part. ” - Happy, 16

INTEGRATING GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION & RIGHTS AWARENESS

Given the projects theme of the right to a healthy living environment, we integrated Global Citizenship Education & Rights Awareness within the framework of the 10 day exchange. It not only enhanced the YOUCA Ambassadors’ and the youth from Spring Communities’ understanding of global issues but also empowered them to actively contribute to a sustainable future through collaborative action, mutual learning and awareness raising. One of the main conclusions for the youth is that we all have to work together and have a complete and common understanding of the problem. Without that it’s impossible to actually find real solutions against climate change.

“ Without collaboration, nothing can be achieved. We should come together to protect our environment because the consequences affect us all. ” - Neilla, 17

By providing a universal SDG framework that addresses global challenges such as inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation, the youth from both Belgium and Burundi have gained a broader perspective on these issues and a solid understanding of their interconnectedness. Many thanks to our amazing facilitators Inès Verlinden from the KIYO Burundi team and Amie Beraca Igiranza, founder of Green Youth Force.

BURUNDIAN YOUTH IN BELGIUM

In October we will be welcoming a group of 12 Burundian youth Ambassadors in Belgium, where they give presentations in local schools about this year's project and help explain what the YOUCA Action Day wages will contribute to. Stay tuned for more!