Sponsor's update letter from Bujumbura

Child sponsorship update letter from November 2007

Dear Sponsors, dear Friends,

At this turn of the year 2007, it is yet again a real pleasure to extend to you on behalf of the whole SOSCV Bujumbura community, our heartfelt greetings and feelings of gratitude for your unswerving support for us. It is also with a tremendous joy that we snatch this opportunity to update you on the latest happenings of our Village.

Currently, the Village is giving home to 125 children living in the 13 family houses with a capacity of 130 children. The other 4 reunited with their families continue to benefit from our assistance in their biological families. In last September, we admitted 3 children as 6 others have been transferred to SOS youth homes.

Thus, we have 166 youths among whom 55 are in the boarding of the SOS Secondary School of Bujumbura. The 111 remaining are in the 9 youth homes. 1 youth transferred from Muyinga Village went back to his village of origin. Since June 2007, no single youth was transferred to the housing looked after. We have 37 youths living in the housing looked after. Since June 2007, 8 youths were resettled. Currently the village counts 15 unemployment youths still depending on the organisation. We are helping them to elaborate their self-employment projects. The 8 youths having sat for a recruiting test in the Credit Bank of Bujumbura did not get through.

This semester has been crowned by exceptional events. Indeed, the international SOS Children’s Day which falls on June 23rd, 2007 coincided with the Mother's Day. Hence the two Days were celebrated at the same time. It was an opportunity given to children to show love to their mothers through many offered gifts. The celebration was also high in Village children dances and songs.

Celebrations at the village

We also celebrated the graduation day, on August 18th, 2007 for 21 general humanities laureates and for 7 technical education youths. It was for the first time in the life of the Village that such a number of children get diplomas at the same time.

In the framework of youth blossoming, a holiday camp was organized from July 22nd to 29th, 2007 at Gitega SOSCV for all youths from all villages of the country. The week was essentially enamelled by miscellaneous sporty, cultural, and recreational activities. It was wound up by a trip carried out in the southern part of the country, in the Rutana Province. To this end, the young holidaymakers contemplated the beauty of the wonderful water falls of KARERA. It was a real time to relax.

On the occasion of the World Peace Games 2007 for children and youths, SOS Children organised a soccer tournament gathering together secondary schools of the Capital and regrouped in a Centre for peace. Youths from the SOS Secondary School of Bujumbura won the final that took place on November 1st, 2007. The cup was solemnly issued by the Minister of Sports and Youth.

On September 24th, 2007, the Village had an SOS mothers’ visit from SOSCV Gikongoro in Rwanda who had come to foster relationships based on friendship with those of our Village. They were cordially received.

From 4 to 6 November, 2007, the Village had also an exceptional honour to welcome the President of SOS. The welcome ceremonies were very high in colour. Our SOS children and young without forgetting SOS mothers flaunted their talents through traditional dances. The group of drummers from the Village "Karyenda SOS drummers" were present at the ceremonies.

In the medical field, the child who was transferred to Nairobi in Kenya for specialised medical care since March 2007 is still there because his health is not better yet. The SOS Medical Centre extension works started on August 6th, 2007 and are in progress. The extension works forecast among others 10 hospitalization wards, a pharmacy, 2 consultation rooms, an injection room, a small surgery room, an office.

Partnerships and achievements at Bujumbura

At the partnership level, the Bujumbura Light University and an NGO named Concern signed a care provision agreement with the SOS Medical Centre. In this sense, the Project "Fight against diabetes" has supported the SOS Medical Centre in the leading of 2 sessions in favour of diabetics treated at the Centre. The partnership convention with the National Council for Fight against AIDS (CNLS) has been renewed in August 2007 in favour of children living or infected with HIV/AIDS. It continues to supply the Centre with ARVs. The World Food Program (WFP) provides those who are under ARVs treatment with food.

The Village is carrying on with its Family Strengthening Program (FSP) on behalf of the 225 Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVCs) divided up in 93 households. Special trainings of beneficiaries in income generating crafts were organized. This is how 11 beneficiaries are attending training in sewing and 7 others in automotive engineering.

Concerning education, the success rate of our children and youths was satisfactory at the end of the school year 2006-2007. Indeed, 81% of children and 77, 97% of youths have moved up a class. 9 out of 15 grade 6 children who sat for the National Primary School examination, succeeded. In addition, 10 general humanities laureates have been enrolled in private University education.

The SOS Nursery School is attended by 28 SOS children and 206 from the surrounding community and the primary school by 67 SOS children and 158 from the community.

As for the SOS Secondary School it is attended by 149 SOS youths among whom 55 from the Bujumbura SOSCV and 407 children from the surrounding community. In July 2007, the school received a donation of 40 computers, all internet-connected. From now on, students attend computer science courses and can browse on internet and teachers as well. On October 1st, 2007, the school also received a batch of 2098 books and manuals alongside with audiotapes and video, geographical maps and other learning and teaching materials. Let us point out that the school has just been placed first in scientific and economic departments in the state exam giving access to higher education (first and second year of bachelor) and second in Arts at the national level at the end of the school year 2006/2007.

Dear Sponsors, Dear Friends, we would not end this report without reiterating you our heartfelt thanks for your unflagging support and your kindness.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008,

Yours sincerely,
Damien BARINDOGO
Village Director