300 Vulnerable Families Receive Christmas Food Support in Bubanza and Mubone

BLA in partnership with  CDH Stephanus distributed food items to 300 vulnerable families. 

In order to celebrate the coming Christmas, BLA in partnership with CDH reached out to 300 families with food items in Bubanza commune and in Mubone and Buterere zones, where many households are living in extreme poverty. This work was carried out in collaboration with the local authorities who contributed to identifying the families with the highest levels of vulnerability. Beneficiaries were mostly pygmies, elderly persons, people with disabilities, single parents, and women who survive by scavenging on the dumpsite.

 

On several occasions, Back to Life has made descents in Bubanza with humanitarian support to the pygmy communities who live in extremely difficult conditions, as well as to families living in Mubone. 

Mubone, where Back to Life is located, lies in the northern suburb of Bujumbura the main city and economic capital of Burundi. This area is home to Bujumbura’s main landfill, which has tragically become a source of livelihood for many, especially children and women. The area also faces social instability, with many households fragmented or broken. Most children under Back to Life’s support were abandoned by both parents or live only with their mothers, who are unable to provide their basic needs. These mothers are also under the support of Back to Life. Most of them are divorced, or their husbands simply left, abandoning their families and responsibilities.

 

Based on the Bible verse in Romans 3:23, Daniel, who spoke on behalf of CDH Stephanus, encouraged the audience to live a life of holiness, reminding them that sin can be a source of misery. Referring to the prodigal son in the Bible.

“I and you left our Father; our Father is in heaven and our Father is holy. God says don’t lie, yet we lie. God says don’t have bad thoughts, but we have bad thoughts. Everyone has left, and that is the reason why there is misery, that is why there are wars in the world. God didn’t create you to eat the food of pigs. God didn’t create you to go to witchcraft, but He created you for relationships, to be close to Him. I want to call you to come to your senses like the stray kid. Remember what you were created for, remember your Creator, and go back.” Daniel said as he preached to the crowd. Dozens finally came back to Jesus, their Savior.

 

This teaching aligns with what Back to Life teaches the women under its support. These women, many of whom were divorced or abandoned by their husbands and survive by collecting waste from the rubbish dump, suffer  a lack of biblical guidance and family stability. It is common to find a woman with five children from five different men. This moral and social fragility greatly affects the education and wellbeing of the children.

 

Items distributed included rice, beans, maize flour, salt, and oil. The initiative aimed to wish the beneficiaries a merry Christmas by enabling them to enjoy food they had not eaten for a long time. The local authority expressed gratitude for this support, which relieved hunger for a few days among the most vulnerable. He urged beneficiaries to put into practice the Word of God.

 

 “The Word of God says to hear and to practice. Go and put into practice the Word of God. We thank the work of Back to Life for this gift which will enable the vulnerable to spend a few days. Let’s keep praying for them,” said the Chief of Buterere zone.

 

Beneficiaries expressed deep joy for the support. For many, this was a special day that allowed them to eat foods they had not tasted in months. Domine Ngendanzi is a 71-year-old widow. After the death of her husband, her life worsened until she became homeless. Eventually, another woman offered her a small shelter and she survived by scavenging, collecting charcoal or anything edible at the dump. Domine could not contain her emotions as she received the aid. 

 

 “My life is scavenging on the dump. I pick coal and other things I get. Truly, I thank God. I clap for God. My God has done miraculous deeds. I can’t see how to express it.” She said. 

 

It was the same for Marcelline, a 102-year-old widow. Her joyful face revealed how much the food meant to her, as she too had been surviving by searching through trash. 

 

“We thank you for this initiative. God bless you. I am grateful for this heart filled with generosity. Truly, I was starving. My life was on the dump. God bless you much.” said Marceline.

 

Like the pygmies in Bubanza commune who benefited from the support, the families living in Mubone suffer from malnutrition, with many children showing signs of poor feeding. To tackle this challenge, Back to Life has both short-term and long-term strategies: providing children with shelters so they can continue their studies, and empowering families to boost their resilience and break the cycle of dependency.

Thanks to Our Sponsors

We would like to thank all our sponsors who made this event possible. Thanks to their support, we were able to provide a memorable day for the children and the community.