Promoting community solidarity

Visit to Kiremba-Sud orphanage

Rutundwe is one of the hills in the Kiryama zone, located in the Songa commune of Bururi province. It is an FCAP community of 72 members, grouped in two (2) nawe n'uze solidarity groups, taking care of 85 orphans and other vulnerable children. This community is supervised by an FVS-Amie des Enfants team based at the Bururi branch.

Prior to the partnership with SPARK MICRROGRANTS, Rutundwe faced a number of challenges. Community members lacked the knowledge to develop business plans to facilitate the implementation of their micro-projects. They also lacked the strengthening of collective initiatives to improve their economic activities. Each member worked alone and in his or her own way. Agropastoral practices were not optimized, resulting in low productivity.

In addition, community members had very limited resources for community care of orphaned and other vulnerable children in their locality. These obstacles created a cycle of low productivity and limited growth opportunities for the community.

In October 2022, the Rutundwe community was selected to participate in the facilitation-based collective action process (FCAP). Training was provided in collaboration with SPARK MICROGRANTS. The training was divided into three phases:

1. Planning phase: training in brainstorming, prioritizing objectives, defining success indicators and drafting projects.

2. Budgeting phase: training in budget construction for the chosen project.

3. Implementation and post-implementation phase: training in the practical implementation and monitoring of activities.

Rutundwe's economy is based mainly on the cultivation of potatoes, maize and beans, as well as cattle rearing. Thanks to the HEC model, the community has set itself the ambitious goal of ensuring food security for all its members. 

At the beginning of 2023, the Rutundwe FCAP community received a grant of BIF16,234,200 FBU from the FVS-Amie des Enfants and SPARK MICROGRANTS partnership. The grant enabled members of the FCAP Rutundwe community to launch a goat-breeding project.  Thanks to this funding, 72 goats were purchased. Most of the goats gave birth twice, bringing lasting benefits to the community. These goats multiplied and gave birth to 213 kids, generating profits that enabled community members to expand the HEC model by creating new solidarity groups and a HEC community. The Rutundwe FCAP communitý mentored and created another communitý at Gahanda Hill, which is a neighboring village. Since 2024, the Rutundwe FCAṔ community has begun to build the capacity of the Gahanda community on the FCAP model. From then on, the communitý FCAP Gahanda began to implement micro projects, such as the cultivation of corn, wheat and beans. On February 20, 2025, the FCAP Rutundwe community provided the FCAP Gahanda community with a donation of ten (10) goats to start their livestock project.

Members of the Rutundwe FCAP community handing over goats to members of the Gahanda FCAP community

Profits from the project have enabled members of the Rutundwe community to strengthen community care for orphans and other vulnerable children. They paid for evening classes for these children to promote their academic success. They have bought glasses for children with sight problems. They have also supported the guardians of orphans and vulnerable children by providing them with rabbits, food, clothing, chickens and goats.

As part of its community-building efforts, the FCAP Rutundwe community organized a visit to the Kiremba-sud orphanage. Thirteen (13) Nawe N'uze solidarity groups from Rutundwe, Gahanda, Rwego and Gikugo, supervised by FVS-Amie des Enfants, from the Kiryama zone in the Songa commune, were mobilized by members of the FCAP Rutundwe community to visit the Kiremba-Sud orphanage on February 19, 2025. They brought a donation of food, vegetables and fruit, and gave an envelope worth BIF 1,615,000 to buy milk for newborns and infants under six months. This donation was worth BIF 3,620,500. The purpose of the visit was to assist a three-month-old baby named MUHOZA Anny Charlène, whose mother, who was a member of one of these groups, died after giving birth.

  Visit to the Kiremba orphanage

Members of the Rutundwe FCAP community with the baby they have placed in the Kiremba-sud orphanage  

Today, members of the community use the natural manure produced by the goats to fertilize the soil, which has enabled them to increase agricultural productivity. Orphaned and other vulnerable children benefit from better socio-educational and health care. Rutundwe has also become a model community, capable of training and supporting other local initiatives..

                                 Family photo during the visit to the kiremba-sud orphanage