INKINGI PROJECT IN BURUNDI COMES TO AN END!

From 2020 to 2023, six local and international NGOs (KIYO, FVS - Amie des enfants, JJB, AVSI, Concern Worlwide and GLID) came together with the support of the European Union and the DGD to work towards the same goal: strengthening the socio-economic integration of young people and promoting social cohesion in urban and peri-urban areas in Burundi.

In the provinces of Bujumbura-Mairie (west), Kirundo (north) and Gitega (centre), 1,500 young people aged between 16 and 24 have benefited from vocational training in a wide variety of fields, including pastry-making, sewing, welding, beauty salons, car mechanics and culinary arts. Lessons in micro-financing and loan applications were also given during these 6-month trips, which aimed to combat unemployment.

The results are already encouraging: almost 98% of young people successfully completed the programme and found work somewhere or started self-employment. 78 of these self-employment activities were supported in the form of purchase of equipment or by support in paying rent. The participation of some key people around them such as parents, local authorities and community leaders proved to be a decisive factor.

Clémentine is 25 years old and lives in the Gikoto district of the MUSAGA zone, in the MUHA commune. She lives with her two children in her parents' household. Despite having great difficulty getting around because she has no legs, she was able to join the other young people during the training provided by our partner FVS - Amie des Enfants.

She attended all the training sessions and was introduced to the sewing trade with a sewing machine adapted for her. At the end of the project, we went our separate ways, ensuring that she would be integrated into a workshop where she could practise her craft with the others. 

"As a young disabled single mother, I was marginalised within my community and grew up in poverty. However, by taking part in vocational training as a tailor, I was able to open up to other young people my age and find new motivation. I had to travel a long way from home to get to the training centre, without the use of my legs. But that didn't bother me, because I was determined to complete my training and ensure a better future for myself and my children, who are also disabled. Thanks to the training, I now have a special sewing machine that I use for my income-generating activity, which helps me to meet some of my daily needs."

The world of entrepreneurship and the creation of practical tools are processes that take time, energy and dedication. This target group in particular was faced with a lack of self-esteem and confidence in the future, for which the "Inkingi" project, in its literal translation and demonstration, was a pillar.