Harvest Initiatives is a local Burundian Christian non-profit organization which was founded in 2000 by a team of 7 students, led by Onesphore Manirakiza. Their vision was to see Burundi transformed through the impact of a revived church. The mission is to raise up a movement of disciples and leaders acting as catalysts in the transformation of Burundi and throughout Africa.
Harvest Initiatives (HI) has established Harvest Clubs in 17 out of the 18, working alongside different denominations to build the capacity of the local church and their leaders – in Bible training and evangelism, and community outreach.
HI serves more than 600 Batwa (‘Pygmy’) families and other vulnerable in 5 communities, with integrated projects involving health, education, nutrition and life-skills. HI empowers communities through Nduza Nkuduze (loosely-translated ‘Together we can overcome’) which is a small savings and loans association.
HI has a huge centre at Karubabi which hosts the best primary school in the province, a high-quality medical clinic, and with a vocational boarding school mid-construction. It is also very active in the North and East of the country.
One of HI’s most remarkable activities is the annual summer campaign. Over the last 15 years, they have sent out thousands of young people across the country in teams to witness in towns and villages. These have led approximately 170,000 people to Jesus, and have seen many modern-day ‘acts of the Apostles’, including blind people seeing, deaf hearing, demon-possessed people being set free, and more.
