They are those who have largely been abandoned by their husbands on one hand and on the other hand young unemployed girls who came from the provinces to the economic capital (Bujumbura) in search of employment. Picked up by certain humanitarian organizations and trained in entrepreneurship to give them hope.

Micheline Tuyihayagize is among the women who received financial support of one million Burundian francs from Solidarity of Burundian Women for Social Well-being and Progress (SFBSP-Burundi) to start their business. After being abandoned by her husband when she already had four children, she was forced to turn to prostitution to meet the needs of her family.

At the age of 30, living in the Kinama neighborhood of Ntahangwa commune in Bujumbura, she was sometimes forced to have relations with more than three men in a single evening to ensure the survival of her children. For her, there was no other option. "I had no other choice, my only concern was the survival of my children," she expresses with regret, adding that "this was a source of shame for the neighborhood."

From awareness-raising to success, an initiative that changed the life of Micheline Tuyihayagize and many other women

This mother, mother of four children, was invited several times by a friend to participate in awareness-raising sessions organized by SFBSP-Burundi, focused on the importance of female entrepreneurship. These exchanges led her to turn to sewing and goat herding, two activities in which she quickly invested with success. Thanks to the financial support of SFBSP-Burundi, she was able to acquire a sewing machine and three goats, enabling her to easily meet the needs of her family.

Every day, she generates income ranging between 10,000 and 5,000 francs in the market, which allows her to cover the housing and education costs of her children without external aid. Considered a model by SFBSP-Burundi, Micheline Tuyihayagize inspires hundreds of other mothers sensitized to entrepreneurship. Annick Tuyisenge, communications officer at SFBSP-Burundi, emphasizes her organization's commitment to supporting more women in the business world, by encouraging them to develop financial autonomy, in the interest of their family and that of the country as a whole.

"We are actively seeking ways to help these mothers, many of whom have been neglected," she concludes.

Women and youth represent the majority of the population in the land of the Drum, totaling 12.5 million inhabitants in 2021, with a proportion of 50.6% women and 41.5% youth under 15 years old (WB-2020). Ms. Annick Tuyisenge emphasizes the importance of their contribution to development.

She insists that SFBSP-Burundi's initiative aims to significantly reduce the number of women living in precarity and to address the problem of children born to unknown fathers, while supporting the government's vision of making Burundi an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2060.

According to the report from the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies of Burundi (ISTEEBU-2016-2017), 8% of women aged 15 to 19 have already begun their motherhood journey, 6% are already mothers and 2% are currently pregnant.

Freddy Bin Sengi