Beautiful Burundi

"Breathtaking" is the only way to describe the beauty of this nation and its people. In reality, it simply cannot be described, it has to be experienced. From the lush green mountain landscapes to bustling Bujumbura on the shores of Lake Tanganyaki, it's hard to take it all in. Add to the mix the unique, sophisticated, resilient, progressive Hutu and Tutsi peoples... and the precious Twa (known as 'pygmies' in colonial times) and you have an African nation like no other. Known as the heart of Africa for its location in the center of the continent and cardiac shaped boundary, Burundi will one day be the apple of the world's eye... it just has to happen.

Feed The Hungry's first container of 270,864 fortified rice meals provided by Feed My Starving Children arrived in 'Buj' about two weeks ago. On Monday the pilot school-lunch program for vulnerable kids started up in one school in Gitega and one in Rutana. ARM, an outreach of Pastor Edomond Kivuye and Eglise Vivante, oversees the project on the ground. Teams of parents and community volunteers take turns prepping and cooking the rice meals each day during the school week, which is no small task considering there are 1,900 children at both of these schools. Education has become a priority for this formerly war torn nation-- it is one of the very few countries in Africa where parents and caregivers do not have to pay tuition for public education. Peace has returned in measure since 2005, yet there is one rebel group that still lurks in the shadows, having rejected the negotiating table. The last violent outbreak was in April 2008 when rebels launched mortar attacks on the capital city.

Photos from this week's visit to Burundi can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/sradelich/BackInBurundiNov2008

Back in Africa

Man, do I love this continent!! This past week we've had the opportunity to revisit a few FTH Every Child Every Day sites as well as some new outreaches where children are receiving a hot & nutritious meal courtesy of the friends and partners of Feed The Hungry.

Brian Bush, LeSEA's Middle East Correspondent and Meg Gorecki from Doug Shaw & Associates traveled to Kibera, Kenya (the world's second largest slum); Bulenga and Banda, Uganda; and even up into Yei, Sudan to chronicle how a simple daily school lunch program is making a huge difference in the lives of children that are hungry... for education. At New Generation School in Yei about 90% of the children have lost either one or both parents to AIDS or the war. Pastor Stanley has brought these precious ones under the shadow of God's loving arms and is creating a expectation of promise and hope by allowing them to dream again.

FTH President Pete Sumrall, Lamar Austin, Dr. Todd Coontz, and I followed behind Brian and Meg, touching base with our operational partners in each place. This has been Dr. Todd's first trip to Africa and he's travelled like an old pro and has learned the true meaning of the phrase 'T-I-A'... This Is Africa! If anyone needs an unforgettable lesson in the power of patience, just come to Africa with us sometime... you'll be glad you did.

Hope to post some photos shortly either here or on at feedthehungry.org; the expressions of the children are priceless and thier joy is nothing short of contagious!

June 9, 2008 4 Nations Africa...God works in Burundi!

Just a quick 1 am note before we head out to Uganda in the morning. Edmond is the leader (International Director) of ARM (African Revival Ministries) and is the Senior Pastor of Eglise Vivante, the largest evangelical church in Burundi; ARM has a significant outreach ministry with two schools in Bujumbura, several AIDS clinics, a medical clinic, a church planting network (about 220 churches at present), and a surgical hospital in addition to a host of other outreach programs. Pastor Edmond/ARM is recieving the food shipment sent by Feed The Hungry; the fortified rice meals will be used to initiate school lunch programs.

At dinner last night Edmond said, "When you came to service on this morning you looked so familiar. Now I know where I've seen you before! I see you on Harvest on FETV all the time!"

We had fantastic meetings with the President, His Excellency Pierre Nkurunziza, the personal advisor to the President on Education, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and the Deputy Ambassador and Vice Consul of the US Embassy.

His Excellency and the First Lady are both people of great faith toward God and love toward the people of Burundi. Some of the attached photos are of the President leading worship at his residence on Sunday night... we were invited to attend this meeting where he & his cabinet and invited guests thank God for the things He has done during the previous week, to intercede for the people and nation, and to thank God for the things He will do in the coming week. Pastor Edmond shared a message out of Nehemiah as well. The President's favorite song is My Redeemer Lives (Hillsong) and boy did they get to dancing on that one! The choir is made up of former fighters who stayed with him in the bush after he was shot and left for dead.

The President has made public education for primary school children free, which is uncommon, if not unprecedented, in Africa... as a result there has been a flood of new primary students in the schools, children who were unable to attend school because of poverty. He is building 120 new schools in the rural areas to accomadate the new kids and establish new schools.

None of the schools here have lunch programs... at the two public schools we visited (one had 1,090 students the other had 570 students) some of the kids walk to school 7km (about 4 miles) one way... about half of the kids had no shoes, where Feed The Hungry and Samaritan's Feet come in, and none of the kids brought lunch with them. The school operates from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm; the younger kids attend half day, the older kids (grade 4-6) attend full day. At the schools Feed The Hungry will be serving, ARM will coordinate leaders from local churches to conduct VBS style bible education for each class every week as well as oversee and administrate the food disbursements.

We also visited a Twa village today; Twa is the tribal name of the pygmies. They are an ostracized and neglected minority (1-2% of the population). They are VERY welcoming and hospitable and we had a great time with the whole village of about 65 families.

God Bless, it's on to Uganda in the morning!

Stefan