Summer camps to be beneficial to students and poor families

At a summer camp organized by Centre Jeunes Kamenge in Ntahangwa commune of Bujumbura city, students say they get school materials after laying bricks for poor families and partaking in hygienic activities.

A group of students laying bricks in a summer camp organized by Centre Jeunes Kamenge in Cibitoke neighborhood of Bujumbura city

“Over 380 students are registered for the second part of 2019 summer camp,” says Blaise Pascal Nsabinganji, Director of peace and reconciliation department at Centre Jeunes Kamenge, located in the north of the Burundian capital Bujumbura.
Mr. Nsabinganji says that activities done during summer camps aim at gathering students who are on holidays so they can know each other, help one another in different activities and learn the importance of joining associations.

He also says that Centre Jeunes Kamenge collaborates with the local administration in identifying the poorest families in different localities that need help. “For each family, students lay 2500 bricks which are supposed to be enough for a house,” he says.

Apart from laying bricks, he says, students will also help in removing rubbish from gutters and do other activities in the north of Bujumbura city.
Mr. Nsabinganji adds that Centre Jeunes Kamenge does not pay students but gives them materials which they will use when the next school year starts.

“Summer camps are very important because they help us network with other people. We learn many good things from them,” says Consolate Ndayikeza, a student from Buterere neighborhood who participated in the summer camp organized by Centre Jeunes Kamenge in Cibitoke neighborhood of Bujumbura city.
We are glad when we help poor families, she adds.

Miss Ndayikeza says students do not have anything to do when they stay at home. For her, “they can only learn bad things especially when they join some bands of young people.”

She calls on other students who are on holidays to work together. “When we are together, everything is possible,” she says adding that together they can do more things to develop themselves and the country.
Residents of Cibitoke neighborhood say summer camps are very important as they occupy students on holidays in activities aimed at helping poor people.

Every year, during a summer holidays period, summer camps are organized in Burundi. The 2019 summer camp organized by Centre Jeunes Kamenge is divided into 4 parts. It started on July 2nd and is expected to end on August 25th.