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Hope Centre, Burundi
Most of you will never have heard of Burundi, a landlocked country in East Africa, officially recognised as one of the poorest nations in the world. The country is beautiful and fertile but has been devastated by decades of fighting between the two main ethnic groups, leaving the economy in ruins. Peace agreements were signed with the last rebel group in 2006 and the country is now attempting to restore relationships between the different groups who are returning from
refugee camps in neighbouring countries, and rebuild the economy. AIDS is also a major problem in Burundi, as it is in most of Africa, devastating close-knit family groups and leaving many children and young people with no one to care for them.

 

Pastor Leonard Tuscheiri was orphaned, along with his four siblings, in ethnic fighting in the 1970s and understands the difficulties faced by children who have no one to provide shelter and food for them. Over the past 12 years he has assumed responsibility for around 40 orphans. Many of the younger children have been orphaned as a result of AIDS. Some of the older children and teenagers lost their parents and grandparents as a result of the fighting and have grown up in the refugee camps with no access to education or training.

The number of orphans in the country has left the government unable to cope and reliant on outside agencies to help. In Mutimbuzi province alone (a district about the size of Garioch), there are almost 6,000 orphans. Mission International (a Scottish registered charity) is partnering with REMA, a Burundian Christian charity which promotes HIV/AIDS awareness and reconciliation between ethnic groups, to organise the building of the Hope Centre which will accommodate Pastor Leonard, his family, and the orphans he cares for.

 Charles and Valerie Carr of Morven Drive, Westhill and their three younger boys are planning a move in July to Burundi to work with Mission International to help build this facility. Charles is a member of the Westhill Community Council who works for Deeside Timber Frame in Stonehaven. Valerie works part-time for Covell Matthews Architects and is based in Shell head office at Tullos. Both of their employers have been very supportive of the project. The couple are planning to sell their house to enable them to be self-financing for a year in order to complete the project. Mission International, the charity they are going with, has raised a substantial sum towards the cost of the buildings, but is still looking to raise further funds to house more children on the site.

 The couple visited Burundi over the Easter holidays with Hugh Henderson, the director of Mission International, to see the site allocated for the children’s homes. While there they visited another orphanage to evaluate the benefits of the ‘family home’ model, which accommodates up to eight children in a house with a ‘mama’ looking after them. They also visited various other building projects in the country to learn more about building methods in Burundi.

To raise awareness of the project, and funds for further buildings on the site, there is to be a ‘Hope for Burundi’ buffet supper with live music and disco at the Westhill Hotel on 7^th June. It is hoped that local businesses will get involved by donating items for an auction and also by buying tickets for the event. Further details and tickets are available by emailing ccarr@eulogia.co.uk.

 Anyone wishing to make a donation towards this project can do so by sending a cheque payable to Mission International, 25 Tait’s Lane, Dundee, DD2 1DZ. As everyone working on the project is voluntary, all money will go towards facilities for the children.

(Scottish Registered Charity SCO038645)