Preparing Young People in Burundi for Immigration to Europe.

THE CONTEXT OF YOUR INITIATIVE

There have been inter-ethnic conflicts and wars in Burundi for over 10 years and this has had a negative impact on the socio-economic situation of the population. Burundi has witnessed violence, violations of different types, famine, displacement of persons, the destruction of the socio-economic infrastructure, children not being put in school or dropping out of school, unemployment, etc.

Given that moving to Europe is currently the dream for the majority of young people in Burundi, due to the unstable socio-economic and political situation in the country, ALDP (the Association to Fight Crime and Poverty) provides support for young people, organises outreach programmes and awareness raising/informative sessions on freedom of movement and residence in Europe for those who wish to migrate.

THE ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT AS PART OF YOUR INITIATIVE

ALDP runs these awareness raising/informative sessions in schools and public spaces in Bujumbura. In total over 1,600 young people have participated in our activities. They tell us about their desire to travel to Europe to study, work and settle down. Our mission is to provide them with support for their migration.

We started doing this in 2014.

We have two different age groups/categories:
1. People aged 13-25 who are in education
2. People aged 13-45 who participate in the activities we organise in public spaces

The awareness raising sessions involve preparing young people for immigration by providing them with information about the harmful effects of clandestine immigration (the dangers, boats sinking, etc.) as well as the different realities of life in Europe (the rules to be met in order to be able to live and stay in Europe). We inform these young people through:
– debates
– accounts of experiences from people who have been to Europe (notably westerners and volunteers)
– music, dance and theatre
– messages written on banners and t-shirts
– social games, sports and cultural activities
– projecting documentaries
– radio broadcasts
We also use the support of experts, coordinators and volunteers in these efforts.

But through these activities we also prepare young people for building a future in the local area if they decide to stay – how to support themselves in the local area so they don’t have to migrate, how to organise themselves so they can do the job they wish: office work in the local area, IT work, etc. We teach them about how to avoid being dependent and how to organise themselves in the local area.

WHO IS INVOLVED FROM OUR GROUP?

8 volunteer coordinators from ALDP.

WHICH PARTNERS ARE YOU WORKING WITH ON THIS INITIATIVE?

FUTURE PROSPECTS

Thanks to these initiatives young people in Kinama have smashed the barrier of ignorance about freedom of movement and residence in Europe.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD ANY INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INITIATIVE?

WHAT ARE YOUR PROSPECTS?

To obtain new awareness raising tools:
1. Sound system equipment (sound mixer, microphones, speakers, an amplifier and other accessories)
2. A podium
3. Printing messages on banners and t-shirts
4. Sports equipment (balls for football, volleyball, handball and basketball as well as kits and a scoreboard)
5. Generators and accessories
6. A USB radio for rehearsals
7. A second-hand open-body van (with a cabin) to transport the sound system and other equipment to our events in public spaces.
8. To add texts and multimedia pieces on the topics of immigration and local development to our physical and media libraries

Capacity building with our volunteer coordinators