Catégorie : Education

Early and Unintended pregnancies: a hindrance to success for girls

Isaac Irakoze

Unintended pregnancies in the school environment in Burundi is a big challenge that shatters dreams for many girls. What should be done to prevent and reduce them? Isaac Irakoze goes through this great issue in our society. Over the past decades, woman’s responsibilities were limited to domestic activities, giving birth to children, feeding and educating them. Homemaking was supposed to be her only main task. The school was reserved exclusively to boys. ‘‘Ntamashure y’umukobwa (School is not important for girls),’’ many Burundians unfortunately believed. ‘‘Buraca bugacana ayandi (the future may…

Graduated but unemployed: who to blame?

Eliabu IZODUKIZA

Unemployment is an issue for the youth in Burundi. The rate keeps increasing. Reasons include the lack of entrepreneurial experience for young graduates, the content of the academic curricula that doesn’t match the reality of the time and false assumptions over the outcome of studies. Considerable efforts should be put in to tackle unemployment. I recently came across a group of students on their way home. I really had the curiosity to know what they think of school today. They obviously had different points of view. Still, they agreed on…

Early and forced marriage: A clear path toward misery for girls.

Diane Kezakimana

Early and forced marriages jeopardize chances for girls to fulfill their dreams. A girl can achieve success when she is free and comfortable to make decisions upon her life. Such marriages often lead to conflicts within families and this may cause several problems for girls and the society at large. The number of girls married at the early age (under 18) is obviously considerable. Most of them are reluctantly forced to drop out of school. According to UNICEF, the highest rate of child marriage is found in Sub-Saharan Africa where…

Free our culture and gain the dignity

Christophe Niyongabo

In modern Africa and in Burundi, particularly, traditional values are, today, facing challenges and socio- cultural mutations due to the interference with European standards of life. This issue of dowry is highlighting some examples of such cultural clash between two worlds with different philosophical conceptions of society and its relations. In traditional Africa, the bride-price was of great importance. It first cemented the relationships between the two families (the daughter’s and the bride-groom’s). It was also believed to be the precious gift for parents who support the girl’s upbringing. The…

‘‘Women can’’: under which conditions?

Dorine Dusabe

Self-confidence, change of mindset, and a will of making the difference are the qualities which women had not had before. However, nowadays, things are changing even if there are still some things that need to be done. A woman has long since been underestimated. Proverbs like « Nta nkokokazi ibika isake iriho » and others constitute a hindrance to aiming high. Due to that, a woman lacks self-confidence by believing that great things are always done by men. Despite that, the woman of today is becoming aware of her abilities that lead…

Ugusegerereza ku bana, ingeso mbi iguma igwirirana

Isaac Irakoze

Mu Burundi, Afrika no kw’isi yose, abana basegerereza barwira ku murindi udasanzwe. Aha iwacu, abenshi bakaba ari abana baba mw’ibarabara tutibagiye n’abava mu mihana yabo bagiye gusega, baba barungitswe n’abavyeyi canke bijanye. Iyo ngeso ikaba igayitse kandi ikwiye kuranduranwa n’imizi. Ni iki kiriko kirakorwa canke cokorwa kugira iyo ngeso ihere? N’ibande bafise uruhara rwo kubihagarika? Gusegerereza ni umugenzo canke ingeso y’umuntu (uwukuze canke umwana) yo kuja mu bibanza rusangi canke ahantu hakoranira canke haca abantu benshi ajanywe no kubasaba amahera, imfungurwa canke impuzu. Uwo mwuga ugayitse wo gusegerereza ukaba utabonwa…