This 18th July 2013, the World has celebrated Mandela Day. In Burundi, the South African Embassy with the United Nations Office in Burundi (BINUB) and AHD (Human Action against Delinquency) have celebrated that Day. On that occasion, they have proceeded to the painting of the new workshop for mentally ill people that serves as their classroom – by Lorraine Josiane Manishatse
The Nelson Mandela Day 2013.©Iwacu
The main objective of Mandela Day is to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better, and in doing so build a global movement for good. Ultimately, it seeks to empower communities everywhere.
“Take Action; Inspire change; Make Every Day a Mandela Day.”
“Mandela’s slogan “It always seems impossible until it is done” has encouraged me when I began my project whose mission was to give vocational training, social and economic reinsertion to street children” indicates Gaston Niyonzima, Legal Representative and Founder of AHD.
He adds that it seemed impossible at the beginning, but little by little he has achieved the goal: he has succeeded to put them together and train them so that they can be active in economic development.
For him, as Mandela has given independence to South Africa, their association takes street children, train them and reinsert them socially and economically so that they become autonomous following their slogan “Training from poverty to freedom.”
With the support of the Embassy of South Africa in Burundi and BINUB, AHD has gathered street children to paint the new workshop for mental patients of Fracarita Burundi, a branch of Fracarita International whose main objective is to help mentally ill people in the world.
“As we know, mental patients need a particular attention to be socially and economically reintegrated through training and careful supervision so that in the future they can have access to employment in the community “highlights Niyonzima.
According to Roméo Sikubwabo, a member of the Lion Story Singer Group, they don’t celebrate the Mandela Day because they celebrate him every day and they often remember him because they salute his acts in South Africa and in the whole World.
For Pacifique Nininahazwe, the Chairman of the civil society FOCODE (Forum for Conscience and Development), the Mandela Day Celebration will be held on the 3rd and 4th August. On 3rd August, FOCODE members will be blood donors for their contribution as today the blood bank in the country is not sufficient. And on 4th, there will be a meditation session about Mandela life (biography), his achievements and his different messages to the world.
IWACU Open Data
