Burundi, February 2019

Randy Shaw, Outreach

“KeHE Cares has since become involved with World Relief in their efforts to build healthy families and communities in Burundi through their ‘Community Empowerment Zone’ program. This starts by bringing churches of multiple denominations together for the betterment of all the people. From there they work at developing stronger marriages, followed by developing solid parenting skills. Then they teach and encourage cooperative savings programs through their ‘Saving For Life’ program which is essential small ‘Savings and Loans’ for groups of up to 25 families. This has successfully promoted financial independence and given the Burundian’s the ability to provide for their own children’s education and health care. It has also empowered both men and women to start their own small businesses which further adds to the pride and dignity of taking care of your family without the dependence on outside aid organizations.

Lastly, through their ‘Farming For Life’ program they are teaching better and healthier agricultural skills to the community. This is providing them with the ability to increase their yields and become better stewards of their land through organic farming techniques.
Finally what was most impressive was all of this was done with Burundian’s teaching Burundian’s. This is a recipe for lasting sustainable success and change. World Relief has spent 10 years working in this district to bring about all these positive changes. KeHE Cares has provided a donation that will allow them to move into an entirely new district in Burundi and begin the steady growth towards helping new communities develop a richer and more dignified life of independence from outside sources and raising up healthier and stronger families.”

Greg Esperance, Warehouse

“I’ve read history books about the Red Sea and the Great Pyramids. Africa is a continent that just seems so far out of my range I never thought I would experience.

When the opportunity was presented to me, of course, my answer was ‘yes!’. The motherland, Burundi, a country that I knew nothing of. I could not even locate it on a map. So when I traveled to Burundi I had no idea what to expect. From the moment we landed we were greeted with smiles and hugs.
Throughout my days, I watch the vast land of green all over and merchants selling tomatoes, corn, and milk. More importantly, we were able to talk to locals and build relationships. We were welcomed into their homes and churches. We learned about their day to day activities, including their own struggles and their spiritual struggles. They sang for us, we prayed together, and we were learning about some of the many programs they had in place in their local villages. In one marriage counsel session, a local leader asked us ‘Do you guys have the same struggle in marriages as we do here?’ Our response was, ‘heck yeah!’ They were shocked and we were shocked as well. I met wonderful people who were seeking the same thing we seek in America..happiness. “