Burundi Computer Center Marks 1 Year Anniversary
Early in 2009, The Computer Center in Burundi's capital Bujumbura, began giving classes to build computer skills. One year later, three groups of students have completed the courses, giving much needed computer access and education to Burundians. Employers now require all employees to have computer skills, therefore millions of people have no chance of employeement. With such a dire need, the center plans to expand its courses and train 120 people this coming year. The center also is lending help to communities in other parts of the country to expand the program and help as many as possible. More stories from recent students coming soon... 
Center reaches into Rural Communities to Increase Education in The Twa Communities
The Computer Center in Bujumbura, Burundi's Capital is open full-time teaching people important computer skills.
First Pictures from the Shipped Camera Education Without Borders by Jean Claude Kundwa That kid you see there was keeping cows. He shared with me about his experience in the class. He is in second grade and told me that sometimes rain and wind make them leave that palce and runaway in order to comeback after rain. When the sun is so heavy they get so hot. The nice building you see there, is not enough for the children of the neighbouring area. Twa Community of Burundi - From the Heart of Africa Where is the Place of the Poor? by Jean Claude Knudwa, Oct. 18th, 2008 
WHERE IS THE PLACE OF THE POOR?
ADVOCACY FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT IN BURUNDI, Oct. 18th, 2008
For all freedom fighters and all of you who work day and night to see one day Africa with its natural dignity and freedom. My greetings from the Heart of Africa «AMAHORO» (It means “Peace” in my mother tongue).
Today I have a privilege to share with you about the struggle against the cruelty of capitalism that is taking place in this land preventing us to reach the true reconciliation between Burundians after 15 years of Killings and country destruction.
I will not talk about the tension and fear that is sweltering my neighbours Congolese due to many rebel groups that are being nourished by powerful countries of the world, I will not share about the new very hopeful movement that I am watching in the Great Lakes Region about young people artists that are organising Concert that is happening in Uganda. But please let me express the very desires of my heart which is to see my nation overcoming the aggression and lies observed from the very deceitful politics of the international institutions in Burundi reconstruction program.
Since Burundi political bodies have signed cease-fire, all efforts were gathered to rebuild the whole country and international community mobilised itself for contributing.
Burundi seems a country that the world is discovering today, especially because of the plan of the East Africa Community that is going to bring a new Africa federal country that will be done by Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Inspite of the doubt that we young people have about that plan it is pushed to be accomplished in 2010.
Because of capitalist interests and political competitions, Burundi is under the pressure of the power of the international institutions, the Liberalism is the most evil that is really pushing us in false development and the victims are always the unprivileged people and those are 68 percent. If you know our flag then you know our vision and mission, you know our objectives.
THE FLAG OF BURUNDI
The three stars mean UNITY, WORKS, and PROGRES.
The three colours, mean: Red: Love, Green: Hope, White: Peace Since the independence in 1962 Burundians have struggled to see Burundi they dream about, but divisions; wars and deceitful political suggestions have changed the dream an illusion and today all political parties must worship the Breton Wood institutions. If the Prince Louis Rwagasore the Burundi 1rst Freedom fighter comes back today, he would tell us the outcome of the Adjustment Structural Policy that is being prioritised in Burundi.
Prince Louis Rwagasore Independence leader Killed just after his victory against Belgium by a Belgian
When you come in the capital city Bujumbura today, you will see tractors renewing the roads every where. That is so hopeful for all infrastructures were going to collapse. Looking around the city you see so many new big and beautiful houses built and new nice quarters being created.
New agreements with the powerful countries and exchanged are being published on TV often. For example the US embassy is no longer satisfied by its place down town; the government of Burundi offered the US the big place to build a very big embassy at KIGOBE in the middle of many new houses of the richest people of this country.
All this things demonstrate how development is progressing in Burundi.
What remains now is to understand the same way or in different ways the word development and then accepts of agree that Burundi is in process of development or is progressing in the unsolvable under development.
I will personally do not talk about development if I do not see life conditions of people improved, but some others will not talk about development if they do not see infrastructures and houses build highly. For the Development is being promoted in Burundi by the funds of the IMF and the World Bank not by allowing poor to afford education, having sufficient meal a day, but organising traders of coffee, and cotton without forgetting imposing the government to privatize all its institutions in order to prove the transparency in management.
This last month (September), I left the capital city with my friends Evarist when he was going to visit his basic community done by the poorest people in Burundi; those are Twa the third “ethnic group” according to colonialists. The interesting thing here was to see how those people marginalised since colonialism until now they fight for food and shelter in the country that is in competition to shape itself like Mary Land.
When I arrive there as it was the second time I visited the place I found time to visit some of their everyday life activities.
This woman for example is always making pots to sell and find money to by other goods. 90 percent of Burundian live on land but this categories of people do not owe land, they were pushed from bushes but they are not given land or shelter; they are totally dependant on gifts of organisations. You understand the consequences in that understandable life. When they sell pots they use to find some little income but now because of liberalism and technology development, a very few people are interested in their pots. AYINET is crying for those people by writing to you to find something to do.
The emergency is to let this people have shelter (houses). To have a shelter, they have to find land. This concern should be the priority of the government and its partners like the IMF and the WB, but instead these institutions are pushing the government to privatize all of its companies and stay with nothing. It would be so hard to convince us that this politic is helpful for poor.
"Education Without Borders" by Jean Claude Kundwa
Hey friends, Since the president of Burundi Peter declared free education for primary school in Burundi, so many difficulties came up. Kids went to school massively but there was and there is not enough schools for them. Teachers have problems teaching so many children in one room. Some churches began to offer their buildings to support this good initiative by the goverment, but still with many children there could not be enough rooms. Some organisations have tried to build those fabrications that you see in the picture, but you can see that it is not a good place to facilitate studies. That is in the center of the country where i was going for a conflict resolution workshop. That kid you see there was keeping cows. He shared with me about his experience in the class. He is in second grade and told me that sometimes rain and wind make them leave that palce and runaway in order to comeback after rain. When the sun is so heavy they get so hot. The nice building you see there, is not enough for the children of the neighbouring area. Many people blamed the president for allowing free school without plan, but i do not oppose him. It is good for him to do what he can, so for those who support education may have opporunity and no excuses. Even though kids went to school massively, there are so many others who could not just because the governemnt is still orders everyone to wear a uniform and they are expensive. Some others are struggling with an every day hunger which prevent them from going to shool. This lack of enough room for kids education can convice people who still hold on capitalist theories saying that african people are responsible for their problems. It demonstrate a high will of going to school for development, but let's all see that the cruel system is preventing them from developpment opportunities. Untill the socio-economic structures of the system change, people will cry without anyone hearing their cries. Solidarity members are encouraged to keep on contributing by their own will in order to assist all people who are marginalised by the system. If God gave me any opportunity, i will share with you about the marginalised ethnic group in this region that is called Batwa people.
Thank you,
Jean Cladue Kundwa AYINET Burundi   Global Fam's Mic Crenshaw performs in Rwanda while attending AYINET conference in 2005 We need help shipping Computers to Rwanda and Burundi! African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET) needs computers. We have 2 donated laptops from Portland-based computer manufacturer CTL. We also have been awarded a Free Geek grant of 6 desktops. If you have any used or new labtops, or desktops, to contribute please contact us. We also need to cover shipping costs, if you can donate funds, please do so. 
AYINET Teaching modules constructed of cardboard from shoeboxes in Rwanda, Africa.    AYINET Support Letter To Our Friends and Supporters: We are writing to urge you to help us create real political and social change in the world. The Africa Youth Initiative Network, or AYINET, is committed to developing youth leaders worldwide. We will need your help, in order for these leaders to flourish and spread justice in every corner of the globe. The AYINET was formed in 2002 intending to collaborate with partners to build and strengthen the capacity of a corps 240 youth leaders from Africa and the US to work toward a new vision for Africa's renewal that focuses on responding to its peoples’ immediate and long term needs. Youth from over 15 US cities and 15 different African countries have participated in a series of exchanges that includes an extensive 2 week leadership development and peace education course, focusing on Economic Justice and Peace Building, followed by a 1 week community exchange program. During the community exchange, participants had an opportunity to interact with individuals, organizations, and communities that have been directly impacted by violence and war, the oppressive policies of the World Bank and the IMF, the debt crisis, and HIV/AIDS. Youth exchange participants had an opportunity to connect with members of communities who are actively involved in contributing to the struggle against economic injustice and conflict in Africa. Both the training and field experience provide an opportunity for further connections with issues and actions allowing participants to advocate for just and consistent policies in Africa, US policies towards Africa, and accountability of multinational corporations. The Africa Initiative Youth Exchange program partnerships are broad and include: Quaker Peace Center (South Africa), Mindolo Ecumenical Foundation ( Zambia), Friends Peace House (Rwanda), Young Women's Christian Association (Zimbabwe), AntiVoter Apathy (Zambia), Youth Association of Zambia (Zambia), Angola 2000 (Angola), Uzima Foundation (Kenya), Nairobi Peace Initiative (Kenya) among many others. Training models in Rwanda Four people from the Portland Area have participated in two different leadership development exchanges to Rwanda (2004) and Zambia (2005). Our commitment to our African Colleagues is to provide much needed computers, office equipment, and cell phones readily available in the US, for local AYINET chapters in Burundi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We also focus on legislative work at the federal level, lobbying our Congressional Representatives in regards to the foreign policies that affect the livelihood and development of the African continent. AYINET Zambia After five exchanges over the last 5 years, youth from both the US and the African continent are putting their training into action by organizing for justice in their respective communities. We participated in the Life Over Debt Campaign, which aimed to educate US communities about the burden of debt that African countries suffer under. By broadening the base of people who understand issues of global debt, the worldwide movement was able to make gains in debt cancellation for a number of countries in Africa up to approximately $40 million, although this is still only a fraction of Africa debt burden. We continue to address the immediate issue of debt cancellation as a means to sustainable development in Africa, but also we wish to address the specific needs of the AYINET chapters that we work with. This Spring (2007) we have turned our attention to gaining the necessary supplies and office equipment needed for our AYINET colleagues to not only continue their work, but also expand the network to other communities in need. AYINET Burundi In Bujumbura, the bustling capital of Burundi, AYINET Chapter Coordinator, Jean Claude Nkundwa is administering a conflict resolution curriculum developed to directly address the engrained ethnic divisions created by Belgian colonizers in that region, which has led to intense violence and genocide. Organizers in the area continue to face emerging political events that have surfaced religious tensions, the affects of privatization on schools and hospitals, and the immediate need for humanitarian assistance. AYINET Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Uganda, DRC, and Burundi Chapters cross training In both Rwanda and DRC, youth are coming together to build stronger AYINET Chapters, in order to provide the much needed support network, cross training, and the combined coordinated strategic efforts to address the acute violence that has destabilized all of Central Africa. Organizers in both countries are working to strengthen the Network, but also to provide the necessary human needs for many children and families displaced by militia and government actions. Both Chapters are also educating their groups and organizers around larger issues of debt and globalization, which they have come to understand, fuels much of the poverty and violence in their countries. For example, all three of these Chapters will come together this spring to hold a conference to examine and resist the flow of weapons from European sources. AYINET Chapters focus on education, health care, peace and justice. Their specific requests for support are as follows: - school supplies for pupils
- clothes for pupils in need
- funds to buy food for high schools
- funds for supplies and food for long term patients suffering from HIV/AIDS
- computers, laptops, printers, scanners, cameras and cell phones for organizers to continue their work
Here in Portland, Africa advocates are coming together with our AYINET United States, Portland Chapter to ensure that these needs are met. We urge you to dig deep, and help us meet these specified needs. Help us provide an opportunity for African youth to lead their countries into the 21st Century, a century without poverty and violence. To make a tax deductible contribution, please make checks to Education WithOut Borders. Or email or call ? at ?. We are also accepting computers, peripherals, cell phones, and other office and school supplies, please contact us to make these much needed contributions a reality. With Sincere Thanks, African Youth Intiative Network To: Global Fam From: Jean Claude Kundwa AYINET Commitee Bujumbura- BURUNDI.
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Tel: 257 79 575004 -May 4, 2007- I hope you are well. I and whole AYINET Committee are very pleased of your will and action to support our network and setting global family for working in solidarity legally. This will give all of us more strength in our very struggle. Let me also express my gratitude for the web site access, I promise you to send information to your address in order you guys can put up. I hope that AYINET also will be able to make a web site for up dating you as solidarity is being strong. Our network has just passed trough many difficulties as we were passing trough difficult time. Now members can concentrate their efforts to put thing in order again. It is so sad that we are not able to up date people by using web just because of material constraints. Any way some activities are going a head using our small capacities. Let me tell you that Central Africa is the area where computer skills are much ignored, then communication is not really effective. For that reason we believe that together with you guys young people will benefits many things. As you know already I was in touch with Mic and Pam just up dating them when I get e mail facilities. We are trying to send you pictures about some disasters that are damaging many things here. You realized that I responded your e mail later I found it was so important to discuss this questions in my committee and try to give clear answers. AYINET is still hosted by the other organization in the process of getting its own status which I hope to make soon. We are very happy to hear that there are many people who want to help us by sending materials. So as you guys have already begun to find away the computers can reach us go a head because we do not know any company that might work well here. About the use of computers, as we discussed with Mic and Pam just the time we met in workshop in Rwanda , we want to help young people in this region to get access to computer technology which seems to be prevented from them but still is the main key in order someone can get a job. You can not imagine when you meet a student who goes to write his / her theses having any information about turning off or on, a computer. So in our peace and development program, we really want to help young people to be up dated in informatics technology. We want a computer center which will be holding a cyber coffee. This will help us to cover some other needs in our work. Sometimes we feel so bad when we have to intervene in humanitarian assistance, but waiting for founders to give us money with and spend a long time talking about philosophies in the time we watch people dying with hunger and erosion and much kind old disaster. So you understand that computers will have multi task and roles to play. Again some of them will help in AYINET office. Most of the computers we use here are coming from USA and Europe . They are mostly between 2000 and 2004 if you can get any, do not hesitate to ship it. Something we change in them is just language system. Most of the computers have English key boards but they are useful even in French. In addition of accessibility of window 2000, Linux also is useful here. If all computers are between window 2000,2004, Linux,, even Macs, it will be good. As you understand that Cyber can serve as generator activity we would like you guys do your best and check all the accessories that will work in every informatics’ role. You understand that computers will work as network so we will need as much accessories as possible. Power supply, converters, stabilizer and all kind of peripherals… are very important. Answering to your question about buying used computer here, I think it would not be good regarding the use of computers. Just because most of the computers that are used here are donated from west and they are given because they are no longer usable in the origin area. It means that they are very old they can not work a long time. So we suggest you guys to ship them as you thought already. Considering the use of computers, it is important to mention that we will need some computer related such as: Printers, (it is good to have different kind like Laser to use in urgent circumstances and the mal one because it powerful and no it damaged a lot) Scanner Photo copy (There are some new photocopies machine here we can by it here you can just send money for that. It costs $2000) Power point Computer speakers Computer secondary memories such as Flash disks, hard disks, compact disks etc… About speed I have no clear suggestion but you guys can find the minimum of it that can be useful I trust you. Any way the minimum program in each computer can hold: Internet explorer Microsoft outlook Microsoft office word 2003or 2004 Microsoft Excel SPSS: Statistical Package For social Sciences Short cut to flash Real player Microsoft office power point Window medial player Note pad In the computer program we believe you guys know what the up dated ones are. So try to put as much as you can. If there are some new it will be up to us to make research about how to use them. That will be our opportunity to progress. Quality of needed computer: Pentium 4 Processor 2.6GHZ System : Windows XP with Graver DVD Screen: 14 Pouces or more Key Board: Azerty or Querty Ondular: APC 650 Scanner Printer: Laser Thanks alot. Jean Claude Kundwa AYINET Commitee Bujumbura- BURUNDI.
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Tel: 257 79 575004 |
-BURUNDI/RWANDA- Compters/Digital Camera to Youth/Community Organizers