Burundi. Maramvyaj Camp for Displaced People

Jun 18, 2013

A new United World Project for 350 displaced families in Burundi. Obtaining legal documents is the first step for these people to step out of the shadows and become full-fledged citizens.

Stefano Comazzi is responsible for the projects section of the Action for a United World. Recently he visited some of the main localities of Burundi that have been reached by the projects that are being brought ahead in the provinces of Ruyigi, Kayanza and Bujumburu. he was accompanied by the local counterpart of Action for a United Worldt, CASOBU. He recounts:

“In the rural areas of Bujumbura, in the Commune of Mutimbuzi, there is a camp for displaced people called ‘Maramvya’ where one of our projects is underway that provides assistance to families. The displaced families have been forced to move two times in the course of a month, settling first in an area on the outskirts of Bujumbura – a swamp – then on land near to the airport in the Commune of Butirere. The new settlement, however, is farther from the city and more difficult to reach.

For around four months families have been assigned lots upon which they can build their houses. I was able to see that some have already begun to put up a few simple little houses made of mud and straw. But many are lacking the necessary means and the land will be sold at a low price to speculators who are interested in building large Real Estate.

At the time of my arrival a session was being held beneath a large tent, the collection of personal information by a young woman from CASOBU so that families and children could be registered in the Commune and have access to health and educational services.

This registration process is rather complicated because the people passed under the administration of two previous communes. So each individual has to be checked again in order to see if they had been registered previously or not, and the eventual changes made to their documents. This is all done manually and is therefore very tedious and time-consuming.

The water situation, there is only one public distribution point, with only one fountain about half a kilometer from the settlement, I saw a small crowd of women and children there. From what they say, it seems that the queues begin early in the morning at around three o’clock and go on for many hours. We spoke with the mayor and learned that there is a study underway on a project for the entire north region of the city, with adequate pipe diameter and flow rate, and a tank for collecting water right next to the field. Nevertheless, while awaiting the project to be realized, CASOBU will examine other possible short-term solutions that will alleviate at least some of the difficulty of the local population to provide water for itself.