Meanwhile, Emmanuel’s would-be murderers were some of his high school classmates whom he had been studying alongside for seven years. They ate together, slept in the same dormitories, and sat next to each other in class. They even worshipped in the same church. Yet, Emmanuel received the shocking, baffling news from a trusted friend that some boys were planning to kill him. Why? Simply because of his ethnicity…

Every family in Burundi has stories like this. And whilst the nation faces many challenges: food insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, and skyrocketing inflation, to name a few, these issues are symptoms of a deeper problem.

Memories are long, and wounds are deep. As the revolving door of violence has turned, families that were once victims of violence often become perpetrators in acts of revenge. Emmanuel highlights that “many survivors live with their perpetrators…They continue to meet and interact in daily life.” So even when the nation is at peace, suspicion remains. And as the years tick past, the shoulders of the nation tense, wondering when the next cycle will begin. Long-term change will require deeper healing.

“Burundi Needs To Forgive”

When the mob of classmates arrived at Emmanuel’s dormitory, he escaped by hiding, but the next day he confronted his fellow students, persuading them to abandon their plot and apologise. After another attempt on his life two weeks later, friends from his own ethnic group plotted a counter-attack, but once again “I told them they would have to kill me first before killing any other boys.” He became the student leader of successful peacemaking efforts in the school – a glimmer of hope in a nation torn apart.

Years later, the man who killed Dieudonné’s father was at a community event when a young man who looked strangely familiar walked towards him. When he discovered the young man’s name, he turned to flee, fearing a bullet in his back or a machete falling upon his head, but that was not why Dieudonné had come.

Dieudonné remembers his internal struggle, “How could I forgive him? This man made me an orphan. He was even a church leader! But the Lord forgave me, so I can forgive him. When I did, it was like 500kg left my shoulders.“

Dieudonné told the killer that he had forgiven him, even gathering the village around his father’s grave to preach a message of reconciliation. “But forgiveness is not only words – you have to do something.” Dieudonné’s forgiveness was put on display when this murderer died; Dieudonné paid the school fees for
his children.

It’s a stunning story, but Dieudonné does not want to be the focus of our attention. Rather, he wants his story to inspire: “We spend too much time thinking about the past. The past divides us, but when we think about the future, it unites us.” But unity cannot grow in the soil of mistrust. It will only come through reconciliation, which is fuelled by forgiveness. “I believe as soon as Burundians reconcile, Burundi has enough resources to flourish“

Marked by his experiences, Emmanuel has pursued academia to tackle the complex relationship between reconciliation and justice. His doctoral dissertation at Oxford Centre for Mission Studies draws on personal research in his own nation to explore how forgiveness can bring an end to ethnic violence. A powerful insight is the importance of listening when people are given the space to share their personal stories in an environment of compassion, rather than suspicion. In those moments, former enemies can begin to see one another not merely as ‘Hutu’ or ‘Tutsi,’ but as fellow human beings carrying pain, grief, and hope. This kind of deep reconciliation can only happen slowly.

More Than Words

Most readers will never have to forgive something as horrific as the murder of a family member, and the dramatic stories of these leaders might feel far removed from our experience. But all of us have been, and will continue to be, hurt by others. And we have a choice as to how to respond. “Forgiveness is not a weakness, ” Dieudonné urges us to understand, “when you refuse to forgive somebody, it’s like you give them a remote control. No matter where they are, every time you think about them it hurts vou.” Emmanuel’s research concludes that forgiveness is not the denial of justice, nor the forgetting of suffering. Instead, it is a courageous decision to break the cycle of hatred and retaliation. It was a choice he had to make for himself. “It’s not just a feeling, it’s not sentimentality,” Emmanuel discovered, “forgiving is a change of mind. And when you decide, you know the cost of it.”

Costly as it is, forgiveness is the choice that can transform a life,
and, by God’s grace, a nation.

The post The Power of Forgiveness appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

For years, Esperance’s life was marked by hardship. She drowned her sorrow in alcohol and constant conflict. Her husband, unable to endure it any longer, abandoned her and their six children.

Things worsened when the small piece of land she depended on, already barely enough to sustain her family, was swept away by floods that hit her entire neighbourhood. With nowhere else to go, Esperance built a small shack from cardboard, barely large enough to hold them all, and survived by scavenging at the largest dumpsite in Buterere, on the outskirts of Bujumbura.

Her life took a turning point when she met Donna.

Donna had come to Burundi as a school teacher, but her heart was drawn to something deeper. Witnessing the living conditions of families like Esperance’s broke her. She felt a clear calling from God to serve the poor and vulnerable more intentionally.

That calling led her to start Hope for Tomorrow, which is now training hundreds across Burundi through Foundations for Farming.

She began by acquiring a small piece of land and gathering vulnerable families. There, she shared the love of Christ and introduced them to the Foundations for Farming methodology, a simple yet powerful approach built on the principles of stewardship, discipline, and faith.

What started small has now grown into something remarkable.

More than 200 families have been reintegrated into communities. Homes have been built. Lives have been restored, not only physically, but spiritually. Families now farm together, grow together, and walk in renewed purpose.

Among those leading this transformation is Claude, a trainer who never studied beyond Grade 5. For years, he has been equipping smallholder farmers with these techniques. Today, he stands in front of university students, teaching them sustainable agriculture practices.

And Esperance’s story now?

After experiencing such unexpected love and support, her life began to change. She gave up alcohol, went through the farming training, and started applying what she learned. Today, she not only sustains her children through her land, but produces enough to sell and earn an income.

Even more, she now teaches others. 

Esperance has also reconciled with her husband, and together they are rebuilding their family and their future.

As Foundations for Farming continues to grow, its impact is reaching far beyond individual households. The methodology is now being taught in universities to agronomy students, and government departments are beginning to adopt it as Burundi seeks to move away from the less productive, subsistence farming practices. With over 80% of the population relying on agriculture, this shift holds the potential to transform the nation.

The post The End of Hunger? appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

Burundi has made significant progress in the fight against HIV, but challenges remain. As global funding shifts and national programmes scale down, many patients still struggle to meet their daily needs, such as access to nutritious food that supports their treatment.

Life Clinic offers an antiretroviral treatment programme which has been extremely successful, but what makes the Life Clinic special is how they care for the whole patient through pastoral support and community.

Regular patient groups are established to offer a space to encourage one another and enable friendships to develop. “People can walk the journey together, ” Dr Monia says. Beyond emotional support, they offer food education, skills training, and micro-loans to start businesses.

“Access to medication alone is not enough. There is much more needed,
especially good nutrition.”

Janette had already lost her husband to AIDS when she also became severely ill. She lost a significant amount of weight and was close to death. With no one else to care for her, her 15-year-old daughter helped nurse her back to life. But Janette was so depressed that she considered giving up on life by stopping her medication. She decided to attend a support group, but when she first arrived she was sceptical. “At first, I didn’t believe them, ” she says. “They looked healthy and strong, nothing like me.”

But as they welcomed, supported, and journeyed with her, Janette gradually found the strength to continue. Today, Janette owns a small farm and has built a home for her children. She has become a leader in the community

Stories like Janette’s are replicating across the city. Through the consistent care of over 50 support groups, people are rebuilding their lives and thriving in ways they never could have imagined.

For Dr Monia, this work is a calling, an opportunity to obey God and care for those who are suffering.

“This is my life purpose.
Seeing life come back into someone’s eyes brings me so much joy.”

The post A Day with Dr Monia appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

This conviction has prompted GLO, together with our partner Heritage TV, to translate, dub and broadcast The Chosen in Kirundi, in partnership with the nonprofit foundation, Come and See.

The Chosen: a global phenomenon

The Chosen is the first multi-season television series based on the life of Jesus, created by filmmaker Dallas Jenkins. Since its launch, it has captivated audiences around the world by drawing viewers into the lives of the disciples and the people Jesus encountered.

More than 300 million people have watched The Chosen, demonstrating that storytelling about Jesus can reach far beyond church walls. The Come and See Foundation, which supports the production, translation, and global distribution of the series, has a vision to introduce Jesus to more than a billion people in their own language.

In Burundi, the Come and See is funding GLO and Heritage TV to translate and dub the series into Kirundi. Translation by a local theologian has now been completed, and Burundian actors have begun dubbing Season One.

Who will see the show?

The vision for the project is ambitious. The Chosen will be broadcast on television later this year, while clips and full episodes will also be made freely available to GLO partner organisations and churches across Burundi to support evangelism, discipleship, and engagement with Scripture.

• Many of GLO’s partner organisations will visit rural communities and churches with generators, screens and projectors, enabling people to watch the series together as part of evangelism and discipleship initiatives.
• UGBB, which works in universities, plans to hold watch parties in student halls.
• Prison ministries such as Restoration Burundi hope to show the series within prisons
• Youth and Children’s Organisations like Scripture Union are considering using clips in schools as part of Bible studies.
• Organisations like Harvest Initiatives and UCCD may use the show in evangelistic and discipleship events.

Our hope is that The Chosen will become a freely available resource for Christian leaders across Burundi — supporting evangelism, discipleship and engagement with Scripture.

What would a dubbed version look like? Get a taster with this clip in Swahili:

A partnership for the Kingdom

This project brings together organisations with complementary strengths to serve Burundi, a nation with a rich heritage of drama, storytelling and poetry, where spoken and visual communication are often more accessible than reading.

The Come and See Foundation provides financial support and technical expertise. GLO connects the project to local churches and ministry partners, while Heritage TV brings creative talent and cultural understanding.

Please pray

• Pray for Heritage TV, the actors and the translators as they work to communicate the story of Jesus and the disciples faithfully and clearly.
• Pray that The Chosen would encourage peace and reconciliation as communities gather to watch the life of Christ together.
• Pray that hearts would be opened to Jesus as people hear his story in the language they speak and think in daily life, hearts would be opened to him.
• Pray that many people would be drawn to read the Scriptures for themselves.

If you’d like to know more about Come and See Foundation’s work, please visit comeandseefoundation.org.

The post Burundi Has Been Chosen! appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

In the past year, with just 14 staff, CEF trained more than 300 teachers from 77 churches. Through their training, teachers are learning how to share Jesus with children in a clear and engaging way. As Anastase, the country director, puts it: “We train and equip teachers so that whenever they stand up and teach about Jesus to children, they will be confident and ready.”

Vanessa knows this change personally. She has been teaching Sunday school for two years, and was filled with enthusiasm but lacked training. Her classes felt difficult, and attendance was intermittent, but after attending a two-week training, things changed. Today, she stands in front of about 50 children every Sunday with confidence. “The training was mainly focused on how to lead a child to Christ effectively,” she says, “since then, I’ve seen a tremendous change in the lives of the little ones I teach!”

Anastate is backed by a dedicated team. Bienfait started as a volunteer in 2022 and is now leading the Bujumbura branch. He continues to train teachers like Annabelle, who are in turn reaching more children. Last year, more than 2,500 children were reached. Many of them are now growing in their faith, not just hearing about Jesus but learning how to follow Him. The teachers can see the tangible outworking of their classes.

Blessed Kind, 14, joined a Christian Youth In Action workshop, during a school break one day, expecting something simple. But after a week of learning, singing, and praising God, he went out with other children and teachers to share the message with others in the streets for their Open Air, street evangelism programme, where they preach to street kids and share the Gospel.

“Preaching to young children like me during the Open Air season built a lot of confidence in me. I was truly touched by seeing children kneeling in the middle of the street to be prayed for. It was my proudest moment, and I will forever cherish it,” he says.

This is the ripple effect of faithful investment. When one teacher is trained, many children are reached, and seeds are planted in young hearts. And as these children grow, so does the hope that a generation firmly rooted in Christ will rise, walking faithfully along the path they have been shown. 

The post Train Up a Child… appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

Former Olympian Charles Nkazamyampi’s (FCN) Team reach out to a local community through sporting events. They encourage youth to commit to principles of peace and nonviolence and share a Gospel message. As they have travelled around Burundi, they have impacted a wide variety of communities with many thousands responding to the Good News.

While re-visiting a community in Kirundo back in April, they found a group of young people who had recently given their lives to Jesus through a previous outreach event, making a beautiful contribution to the village where they lived. 

Spotting elderly people in their community living in crumbling mud huts with roofs that leaked, they grabbed their machetes, climbed up on the roof and re-thatched them (with permission) so these old Batama* would have the shelter they so desperately needed. Nobody asked them, they just did it – Gospel in action! 

As the pictures show, these young people are climbing on top of fragile buildings, repairing roofs that have been destroyed by the harsh environment of the Burundi climate and rebuilding them to give the older generation a safe, secure place to rest.

The most beautiful part of this story is their motivation. Having truly discovered what Jesus has done for them, and their heart to bless others because of their newfound faith and joy. They could do no other than fully engage themselves in blessing the community around them and saying, “This is done in Jesus’ name.”

The recipients of all this hard work were so pleased with the young people’s efforts. They can truly be peaceful in their homes.

We celebrate with FCN on teaching the young people well. And we look forward to more stories of this good news being worked out in the society of Burundi as the Good News reaches more and more parts of the country.

*Batama is a Kirundi term of respect for older people. In a culture of honour, the wisdom of old age is highly valued!

The post Transformed Youth Get Stuck In appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

It is a story we hear often in Burundi, with no medical options left at her disposal, Sophie made a decision: she would have to trust God completely – He was all she had!

From her bed in Kamenge, she listened to Ivyizigiro Radio every day – that means “Hope Radio”! This is a service run by World Outreach Initiatives (WOI). Through the daily encouragement of worship songs and messages of faith, her strength slowly returned. She grew in her prayer life, which in turn helped her confidence in God to grow, believing that healing really could be possible.

It took some time, but after taking various medical tests, they confirmed what Sophie already felt inside – the cancer was gone!

Today, at an amazing sixty years old, Sophie is healthy and full of life. She speaks with immense gratitude for Ivyizigiro Radio, having been by her side through this difficult journey, and calls their team ‘faithful servants of God’.

Her message to others facing suffering is simple – you can put your trust in God. Whatever the outcome, He is good.

Sophie’s resilience and faith are an inspiration, and her testimony was a huge encouragement to the World Outreach Initiatives broadcasting team as they continue to push out kingdom content over the airwaves!

The post Broadcasting Hope! appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

After visiting Burundi this year, he was truly inspired by the projects he saw, in particular those related to sport bringing the community together. So he decided he would run the famous Boston Marathon to support former Olympian, Charles Nkazamyampi’s work (FCN). As one of the GLO’s Partners, FCN brings beautiful healing to hurting communities using practical methods, such as organising sporting events, educational initiatives, and also teaching and outreach to the local communities.

While Daniel was in Burundi, he took the opportunity to join in one of FCN’s local runs with athletes from the area. He was excited to see how a simple 5 kilometre run could bridge the chasm between damaged communities, allowing people from different ethnic groups to unite in fun. It was all the motivation he needed to dedicate the Boston Marathon sponsorship to this life-changing ministry.

Daniel covered all his own expenses for the trip and stay in the USA, so every bit of the resources raised went to support his efforts, and the full donation will support the efforts in Burundi.

If you’d like to use your talents to raise money for GLO, we’d love to support you with the resources to set you up for success! It could be a sporting event, selling cakes, hosting a coffee morning, or something else entirely! Find out more here:

The post Running for GLO appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

In Burundi, our partner UCCD is seeing stunning transformation in young lives. Through The Mailbox Club, a Bible-based correspondence programme, children and young people across the country are receiving structured, engaging lessons that many of their Sunday schools simply never had before. Teachers are being equipped, volunteers are being resourced, and children are encountering Jesus.

The results speak for themselves. Fifteen-year-old Niokwizigi stopped fighting at school. Alfonsine, aged 14, opened her Bible to Galatians 2:20 and found a verse that reordered her entire life.

Watch the video above and hear their stories in their own words. This is what your prayers and partnership make possible.

The post One Child at a Time appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.

Things kept getting harder. Eventually, she had no choice but to move into an even smaller house in the slum of Buterere, on the outskirts of Bujumbura. To make ends meet, she scavenged for plastic at the dumpsite, with her baby strapped to her back,

“This is one of the most dangerous jobs to do. Sometimes we get infections from all the rubbish. There are times when there are sharp and dangerous objects we step on or grab.”

On the most difficult days, she would take her oldest son, only eight years old, to help her collect more plastic. It was not the life she wanted for him, but the need to survive left little room for choice.

Emelyne had heard about microloan groups before. She wished to join one, but she never succeeded because she had nothing to contribute.

“I could barely survive each day. Knowing that I even had to contribute 1,000 FBu (25 pence / 35 cents) would have been a stretch.”

Everything changed when she attended a small-business training program conducted by Greenland Alliance. The training focused on saving money, growing small capital, and understanding how savings and loans groups work. For the first time, the idea of joining a group did not feel impossible.

After joining the Bihunduke Self Help Group, her life began to turn around. She started small. With her savings, she bought one goat. That goat has now given birth to four more. Her vegetable business has grown. She no longer scavenges at the dumpsite.

These savings and loan groups have changed the lives of thousands of families. With an increase in capital of just 100,000 FBu, just £25 / $30 each, Emelyne’s group of ten members have been able to grow their businesses and strengthen their families.

Today, Emelyne is dreaming bigger. She hopes to reach 1,000,000 FBu, around £300. She plans to sell her goats and buy land. On that land, she hopes to build a small house for her children. 

“I thank God for the steps I have already taken. I pray to reach even further.”

The post Small Investment – Huge Impact! appeared first on Great Lakes Outreach.