Taking Flight Together

“The man and the woman are like the two wings of a bird. Unless the female wing is flourishing alongside the male wing, humanity will not take flight. So to support the woman is to support the world.” This idea underpins the new Women’s Empowerment initiative from RAJEDES as... Read the article...

A Sister’s Invitation

At the age of fifty-five, Asana was aware that the traumas she had suffered throughout her life were taking a toll on her health. Visits to doctors did not prevent her from suffering a heart attack. She speaks of longing for healing medicine and a ‘heart full of joy’... Read the article...

Nolan’s New Chapter

These photos of Nolan each represent a different chapter in his story. First, we find him, just 12 years old, living on the streets of Bujumbura, another street-connected child amongst twenty other boys hanging out on the roadside. In the city, it is not difficult to find children like... Read the article...

A Beginners Guide to Savings Clubs

A key methodology used to alleviate poverty in Burundi. Here is how they operate and why they are needed.... Read the article...

People Building

“Many non-profits build buildings and programmes, Antioch Foundation exists to build people.”... Read the article...

Booming Business in Buj

Unable to finish his degree and unemployed, Eric was an orphan who had responsibility for his younger brothers. Their prospects looked bleak, but thankfully he was able to join a training and microloans group run by RAJEDES, who work in some of the poorer parts of Bujumbura. Thanks to... Read the article...

Sing! Dance! Sew!

This group of happy ladies dressed in their brightest colors danced and sang as a crowd looked on, clapping and dancing along. The song they sang was called Birashoboka (which means ‘it is possible’). The occasion was their graduation. Each woman in the group had completed their training in... Read the article...

Here for a Purpose!

Our partners, Purpose Discovery, address the big questions. They are committed to raising awareness amongst young people regarding the purpose of their existence. Through visits to churches and schools, they build up a network of clubs where young people can address themes such as time management, creativity and innovation.... Read the article...

The Forgotten?

Between Bwiza and Nyakabiga in Bujumbura, there is an area known as ‘Ku Gifurege’, ‘The Big Gutter’. Perched along the gutter’s edge are several huts housing sixteen households. Known as ‘The Forgotten’, the community consists of retired and active prostitutes and their children, gamblers and addicts. Greenland Alliance... Read the article...

Boaz

6-year-old Boaz went missing last week. Honestly, after six days of no news, the darkest thoughts filled all our minds. All hope was fading fast. His father, Abdul, is one of our key leaders... Read the article...

Life Clinics Bringing Hope

It’s been 40 years since the first reported HIV cases. For over 15 years, the Life Clinics of GLO’s partner World Outreach Initiatives have supported over a thousand people who live with HIV by providing them with Antiretroviral Regimens, also known as ARV. Daphrosa a mother of 4 children... Read the article...

A Desire for More

Born into a low-income family, Desire’s parents couldn't afford a lot for their children. Passionate and driven to be great, Desire always felt like his way out of poverty was to have a university degree. Unfortunately, after completing high school, he failed the national exam, which would have granted... Read the article...

Choose Life in 2022!

Choose Life is a daily devotional by Simon Guillebaud. Living in a war zone for many years, Simon is attuned to making the most of each week, taking nothing and no one for granted. The Choose Life challenge is here to inspire you to do the same. Simon tells... Read the article...

Revenge to Reconciliation

Didacienne is a woman serving in the Burundian military. She is 26 years old and hails from Cibitoke, northern Burundi. Although the relationship with her father was rooted in love, it became conflicted after he abandoned her mother and began a relationship with a new woman, which Didancienne found... Read the article...

Running Back to Loving Arms

Is there a better sight than a child running carefree, a massive smile across his face? Can you imagine the group of excited children, running to meet him? They are his siblings, and they are so happy to be reunited. Issa's story was close to ending in tragedy, but... Read the article...

A Brother’s Love

Like many children in Burundi, Vincent had an unbelievably tough start in life. Conflict and war meant his family’s only hope of survival was to leave everything behind and flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo to find shelter in a refugee camp, alongside thousands of other Burundians. Tragically,... Read the article...

Physical Fundraising!

We're always encouraged by the effort and devotion some of our supporters put into fundraising for GLO, and recently we have been blessed by Peter and Ben, who have each undertaken a 24-hour physical challenge! We've all had those moments of thinking 'I'd love to try that'. Ben took... Read the article...

Speechless!

There are a few reasons why Innocent is the skinniest healthy guy I know. His stories are nuts. Read on… He realised as a young man that he had the gift of healing. On one occasion, he prayed for a hunchback who had been bent over for 18 years.... Read the article...

Dancing in the Rain!

Our founder Simon Guillebaud had an exhilarating start to his recent visit to Burundi! Visiting a rally in Kirusi run by United Citizens for Change and Development, they had the chance to share with the hundreds of locals who came to the rally. This was a chance to witness... Read the article...

Creating for Christ

Where do the arts come into church? This is the question asked by our partners, Inganji. They seek to empower and equip artists of all descriptions and explore the potential for art to communicate the gospel. In creation, we see the work of the Supreme Artist, in the words... Read the article...

Chrissie Chapman – a Tribute

Things would have looked very different if Chrissie had died when the doctors said she would. Decades ago, she was dying and had been given six months to live. She was partially paralysed, bald, her whole body was swollen ‘like a Michelin-Man’, and she had two wrecked lungs. On... Read the article...

Single Mothers of the Streets

Living in impoverished rural communities, many young girls and women find themselves on Bujumbura’s city streets looking for work. They come to work as babysitters and housekeepers, but many find themselves destitute and often with unwanted pregnancies. Some girls enter into relationships with the fathers of their children but... Read the article...

41 Seconds of Gratitude and Joy in Burundi!

Experience the joy of these precious young ladies receiving reusable sanitary pads, which is a game-changer for their education. No longer will they miss days of school every month. ... Read the article...

Emmanuel’s Total Transformation

Emmanuel didn’t do well at school, so he decided to drop out. He worked as a labourer on people’s farms for a living. Most of the time, he couldn’t hold down a job for more than three months due to his problems with alcohol. He joined a fish farming... Read the article...

Strengthening the Troops!

GLO’s partner leaders work extremely hard, with great enthusiasm and energy, often in the face of great difficulty. The life of such an individual is tough, and so an essential weekend in the calendar is our annual partners retreat, where GLO provides a time away to invest in our... Read the article...

Hope Amidst Pain

Despite his young age, Issa has lived on the streets of Bujumbura for three years now. He started life watching his family struggling to provide for him, and after failing at school, he opted to run away from home. At the age of twelve, he had already learned to... Read the article...

Tuning in to Transformation

Trans World Radio have received so much encouraging feedback from their radio programmes Abakunzi b’Amahoro’ (Lovers of Peace) and ‘Amahoro Iwacu’ (Peace in our Home). One young mother got in touch from prison, where she had listened to the radio station. Separated from her children, she was struggling with... Read the article...

Harvest Outreach Hope!

After a last-minute go-ahead, the Harvest Initiatives annual summer evangelism returned after last year's campaign was forced to cancel due to coronavirus. As ever, there have been a load of encouraging stories of powerful transformation, here is an initial selection for your encouragement. Thank you for your prayers over... Read the article...

The Peace That Surpassed Grief

At twenty years of age, Divine was a mother to a healthy one-year baby. Loved by her husband, she was living the life of her dreams. However, her world collapsed when her baby died of an unknown cause, and her husband almost chased her out for becoming a Christian. ... Read the article...

Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together

When thinking of the Olympics, it’s easy to focus on winning medals, but Olympic values go much further than excellence. As highlighted during the opening ceremony in Tokyo, the Olympic motto has been updated to include the word ‘Together’. This reflects a key value of GLO partner Charles Nkazamyampi... Read the article...

Let’s Edify Each Other!

Nduza Nkuduze, which means ‘let’s edify each other’, is a microloans group in the Batwa (Pygmy) community of Busiga, Muyinga Province. For the past four years, they have been able to save enough money to start small businesses. This has enabled them to harvest crops from their farms. ... Read the article...

The Young Entrepreneur

After completing Year 9 at High School, Innocent found himself looking for a job. Further education simply wasn’t an option because of lack of funds. Thankfully, our partner RAJEDES was able to support Innocent as he explored ways of becoming financially independent. RAJEDES focuses on creating opportunities for young... Read the article...

A Telescope That Changed a Girl’s Perspective

Viola is a typical seventeen-year-old. She likes to take pictures, dance, and hang around with her friends. But, Viola is also a brilliant girl. She tells us, “My favourite subject is science, and I’m always excited whenever I'm solving a math problem.” This has not always been the case.... Read the article...

Charlotte and Christophe’s New Start

When Charlotte became a widow she experienced unimaginable difficulties. With her husband’s death, she also lost her home and her family. Her husband’s family wanted to inherit her land so she was thrown out, and forced to leave her son behind. Homeless, penniless and starving, she only had the... Read the article...

The Persistent Friend

Arcade had been selling and smoking cannabis and had no intention of changing, but Chadrack kept inviting him to come along to the bible studies run by Union des Groupes Bibliques. He met with him in person as well as texting and calling him. Eventually, due to Chadrack’s persistence,... Read the article...

From Wreckage to Resilience

Francine had to fend for herself from the time she was orphaned at twelve years of age. With no one to take care of her, she had to leave her village in Bubanza, which was sadly only the beginning of many trails. She ended up in the Middle East... Read the article...

A Plentiful Harvest

RAJEDES is focused on creating opportunities! One key area of focus is microloans, which allow people to start a business and become self-sufficient, bringing hope to communities trapped in poverty for generations. We look at three individuals who have worked hard with their microloans in the agricultural sector.... Read the article...

The Restoration of Innocent

It's almost mid-day and the sun is already shining. Karubabi Harvest School, standing upon the hills of Muramvya, looks so vibrant. It's break time and children are out playing and enjoying themselves. In the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a young boy staring at me intently... Read the article...

A Garment of Praise

Together for Development provides hope amongst the most vulnerable. An important aspect of their work involves teaching women the skills needed to sew so they can generate a business allowing them to care for themselves and their children. Goreth, a single Mum, has worked tirelessly to care for her... Read the article...

Tomorrow’s Peacemakers

“Before I got engaged in the Peace Club, I did not know who a leader was. I thought leadership was solely meant for presidents of countries or top influencing authorities while ignoring that even I as a student have the right to become a leader..." Restoration Burundi's ‘Peace Clubs’... Read the article...

Counting the Cost for Christ

Husna, a motherless girl of nineteen years old, attended religious debates organised by APRID. Her family were Muslim but after listening to the debate Husna decided that she wanted to become a Christian and gave her life to Christ. Her family became very angry and her stepmother threw her... Read the article...

From a Mud Hut to a University Campus

Antoine is from the Batwa (Pygmy) ethnic group in Muramvya Province, Burundi. Despised by other ethnic groups and without their own land, the Batwa often live hidden away in mud hut settlements deep in the forest, at risk from the elements and disease. Their life expectancy is just 28... Read the article...

The Peacemakers of Kirundo

‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’. We are familiar with that verse from the bible. Our partners, World Outreach Initiatives, have explored making it a reality in the training sessions they arranged for the pastors of Kirundo. As a country, Burundi has undergone times of violence and conflict throughout its recent... Read the article...

Cédrick – Discovering a Dream

It all started in 2008 when Cédrick decided to live on the streets due to his tough and unhappy family conditions. In June 2019, he came in contact with GLO Partner, New Generation. He participated in the activities organised, appreciating sessions which taught positive values, how to help one... Read the article...

Homes of Hope

For the past fifteen years, Youth For Christ’s Homes of Hope have been raising a generation of leaders for the transformation of society. Shelley is one who has had the opportunity to find a home at Homes of Hope... Read the article...

Casting off the Past

"I’m beyond grateful!" said Belise, as tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She was delighted to receive her own sewing machine. She had been one of the top students in the sewing class run by Together for Development, Unfortunately, her circumstances made it extremely difficult for her... Read the article...

A Cycle of Hope

Gervais was one of only three students from the Batwa community in his school in Muyinga. He was the first person in his family to receive an education. But he almost dropped out due to lack of school fees and uniform, until GLO partner Harvest Initiatives came to his... Read the article...

A Year of Giving Dangerously

We were encouraged to hear a story of transformation from beyond Burundi, in the UK. Kevin and his wife are GLO supporters, generously giving money and time in regularly attending our weekly Zoom prayer meetings. This involved giving away a larger proportion of their income. They felt challenged by... Read the article...

The Satisfying Death of CIP… or the RIP of CIP!

Christian Initiatives for Peace is shut down - probably GLO’s greatest satisfaction to date in our involvement in Burundi! Let me explain; in 2015 a national crisis erupted leading to widespread violence - burning barricades, demonstrations, and fear became a daily reality in the capital. We knew we had... Read the article...

Repatriated and Renewed

Odetta returned to Burundi after years of enforced exile, full of joy. “I had missed home, especially my extended family. I had to come back”. With the excitement of returning to her country, Odetta didn’t fully anticipate the many difficulties she would face. She found it very hard to... Read the article...

Deliverance…

Speciose grew up believing that whenever she felt sick, she had been bewitched or poisoned. She believed that there was no natural sickness and rejected medical doctors. But when a serious health issue would require all her family’s possessions to pay a witchdoctor’s fee, Specoise attended a UCE outreach... Read the article...

From Victim to Victor!

Twenty-three-year-old Alain volunteers for CAPAMI because he has personally benefitted from their work. He tells his story. At an end of year party, he spent the night with friends. When he left the party he was attacked and Alain was beaten to the point of unconsciousness. The reason was... Read the article...

Discovering Discipleship at Antioch

Viator is the pastor of a church that partners with Antioch in Bukeye. He has been attending the classes and as a consequence has run a discipleship class back in his home church. The last weekend in February, twenty five members of the congregation made the decision to be... Read the article...

A Son and an Heir

Christophe is assured of the love of his heavenly father. When he was only a few months old, he was orphaned. As a result, Christophe has spent his whole life not knowing a single member of his biological family. Thankfully, he was adopted when God touched the heart of... Read the article...

From Beggars to Entrepreneurs

This is a guest blog by our friend Arne who leads Hauge microfinance. It’s something GLO is looking to support. It’s strategic, empowering, and beautiful. Why do we think that the solutions for those who are poor in Africa are different from the solutions in the UK, USA and... Read the article...

You Did It and They’ve Got It Now!

This is just to feed back on your beautiful response to our appeal to provide health cards to several thousand needy folks. £2.50/$3 was what it cost to provide them and their immediate families three years of access to medical care. So we say A MASSIVE THANK YOU... Read the article...

Building Now to the Glory of God!

I’m seriously excited - this week has been almost 12 years in the making. But there were times when I doubted we’d ever get to this point. Having helped Scripture Union launch the King’s Conference Centre in 2009, we were proud of a sustainable success story! But then to... Read the article...

Thank you for Life-Changing Health Cards!

This is simply to say... A MASSIVE THANK YOU...for your generosity over Christmas to help thousands of families get the £2.50/$3 health cards which will save many lives in the coming years. We heard beautiful stories of kids emptying out piggy banks to donate their pocket money... Read the article...

Dramatic Stories from Harvest Outreach

Cyriak was not only living as a vagrant, he’d lost his mind. When he saw our team coming towards him, he became incensed and promptly smashed the leader’s face in! The rest of the team didn’t retreat in fear but prayed for him until he was completely delivered and... Read the article...

Quintuple-Whammy Good News in Burundi…

Enough of the endless stream of bad news in our Covid-19-affected world, let’s read some heart-warming encouragements! Here is a selection of transformational stories from Igniting Communities for Jesus in the community of Ciya, northern Burundi - an area decimated over the years of war but discovering new hope... Read the article...