Society

Water shortage in rural Gikungu pushes residents to use Ntahangwa River water

06-20-2017 Three months have just passed without clean water in rural Gikungu area of Ntahangwa commune of Bujumbura. People fear to catch different diseases as they use dirty water from Ntahangwa River. The Company in charge of supplying water and electricity (REGIDESO) says it is aware of the issue and (...)

About 144,795 pupils will pass national test, 2017 edition

06-19-2017 “We have finished all programs and exercises. We think that we will get the chance to succeed”, says Glory Verra, a candidate of grade nine at “Lycée Ngagara” basic school. She says she will do all the best to have good results otherwise she will spend a year at (...)

Lake Tanganyika pollution poses major risk for Bujumbura residents

06-17-2017 Environmental activists warn that Lake Tanganyika is increasingly polluted due to domestic and industrial waste from Bujumbura city and villages that is directly dumped into it without any treatment. Already, as one expert says, locals may be drinking unclean water. A. N a mother of four, lives on the (...)

Street children victorious in football match on Day of African Child

06-17-2017 On 16 June every year, African countries celebrate the Day of the African Child. In Burundi, this day comes as more than 2,000 children are living on the streets of Bujumbura, the Burundian capital, says GIRIYUJA, a child rights group. “I started living on the street when I was (...)

Burundian returnees trickle back slowly despite welcome from UNHCR

06-16-2017 37,000 Burundians who fled during the recent crisis—including both registered and unregistered refugees—have now returned, according to UNHCR. But the government claims the number of returnees is closer to 156,000. Abel Mbilinyi, the country representative of UNCHR in Burundi, says 138 Burundian refugees have expressed their desire to return (...)

Down Town Hotel Rutegama Jazz: “Godsend for many”

06-15-2017 With electric plugs available to the public, free Wi-Fi connection, the neighboring population comes to take advantage of these free services. From 6p.m at Down Town Hotel Rutegama Jazz located at the University Avenue, in Bwiza central area of the capital Bujumbura, passers-by come to recharge their cell phones (...)

Hunger, main hindrance to education

06-14-2017 On 15 June every year, the world celebrates the World Day against Hunger. This year, the day comes, while hunger has become a barrier to education in Burundi. In Kirundo northern Province, school drop-outs are almost observed in all schools. This is due to hunger prevailing in families. “There (...)

Old people in Burundi need more help

06-14-2017 «We do not have enough means to nourish old people. These days, people do not help us as they used to do in the past. Because of limited means, we only care for thirty eight old people though we could shelter fifty,” says Mother Colette Murimbane, Head of Saint (...)

Human activities, threat to environment in Burundi

06-14-2017 “The growing population is the main cause of environment deterioration in Burundi”, says Samuel Ndayiragije, Director of Burundi Office for Environment Protection [OBPE], at the closure of the environment week on 14 June. He says Burundi has 11 million people who still occupy the same territory that three million (...)

No health care assistance for albinos, six “face impending death from skin cancer”

06-13-2017 The representative of albinos in Burundi says six known albinos might die of skin cancer due to the lack of health care assistance. The lack of health care assistance will soon lead to the death of at least six albinos, says Kassim Kazungu, the Chairman of Albinos Sans Frontières-Burundi (...)