Reconciling Youth and Police in Bujumbura, Burundi

Context.

The violence between the police and youth de 2015 demonstrated how much the cycle of violence and revenge still going on. When Burundi is approaching the 2020 election, IPB is continuing organizing dialogues for mutual tolerance, good coexistence and reconciliation for youth in their diversity as a process of breaking it little by little creating a future generation that is healed from trauma, mastering the peaceful management and responsible leadership”.

For this end, IPB continue to organizing a three days’ peace dialogue with a group of young universities attending the psychology option at Burundi University on October 10 till 12, 2019. Twenty (20) students were present among them 10 females and 10 males.

Following are some testimonies from the basic workshop

Rosette

I was hurt inside my heart by a problem which led me to a suicide attempt. I loved a boy and I really had trust towards him. He also loved me. After 5 years, I got pregnant and when I presented the news to him, he refused categorically. He didn’t recognize the pregnancy as his. He was living with his brother to whom I told the news and he informed it to his parents. Suddenly, the parents reacted by chasing out my boyfriend during the night. That night, he stayed at his friend. After some days, my parents visited the parents of him in order to discuss about the situation of their children as they knew well about our relationship for long time. The parents forced him to accept the pregnancy but in reality he didn’t because he never took care of the new born. Up to now, I don’t have any desire of boys. I thank God because my parent forgave me.

Jean 

I lost my father when I was 3 years old. My mother became a widow of 4 children. My uncle wanted to have hidden sexual relations with my brave mother who refused categorically. She registered us at school but school fees were difficult to find. Days went on and my Aunt accepted to pay for our education. My Aunt promised to send me abroad for further studies if I succeed the national exam. I studied with assiduity in order to win the bet and I received more and more satisfying results in the class. Some days after the national exam, my Aunt passed away while i lived at his home. I was chocked a lot up to the extent I wanted that my life stopped. At the same time, I got marks to enter good high school and unfortunately, I went there with a lot of stress in my head and heart because I hadn’t anyone else to buy for me whatever I want for school. All those things circulated inside my mind continuously. Since that day, I never got a person to come at my rescue and to provide for my needs. I had to live a miserable life which worsens day by day. I completed my secondary school and I didn’t know how to search a job because I didn’t know what to do. A brave woman searched funds so that i could continue my university studies. Unfortunately, I was not proud of my life at that moment. I always doubt the death of my Aunt because she was always present in my mind. Always thinking that if she was still alive my life would have a sense and be better than today. I would never miss school fees and other elementary needs as other students. Sometimes i doubt even at my existence. Please, pray for me so that my heart is illuminated of joy as other youth and especially, so that God will provide funds for my studies because I can stop them at any time.

I’m thankful for attending this workshop and learn about trauma and its consequences and ways of recovering from it. I will continue to assist myself and get full healing.

Anitha

I was born in a family of 6 children and I am the last born. My mother passed away at my birth delivery. I grew up with my old sisters and my stepmother. In fact, after the death of my mother, my father married another woman who was, actually, his girlfriend even when my mother was still alive. She is the one who gave poison to my dear mother so that she may replace her. I grew up in difficult conditions but I thank God for everything. I knew that history from my old sisters. Since then, I hated my father because he is the one who caused the death of my mother. My paternal affection left me and I hate every male thinking all men are as my father. Surely, my father is the one who caused my wounds by taking from me the affection of my mother. He married a woman who poisoned my mother. Thus, I don’t have feelings towards men even though I am now a mature person because, for me, all men are bad. They don’t have any true love for women.

During three days ‘workshop, I find myself traumatized with a series of trauma symptoms. I’m glad to learn about trauma and the ways of recovering from it. I’m going to continue sharing about suffering and pains.

I’m thankful for this workshop

Blaise                                          

During the crisis, wrongdoers attacked our village. Together with my parents and the grandmother, I hurried up and run away. Unfortunately, we met the wrongdoers. They asked us to kneel down. They tied with a rope my father and asked my mother together with my grandmother to find sec grasses to burning them. Suddenly, the wrongdoers saw other people from our village running away. They run after them. At that time, my father broke the rope slipped on him and asked my mother to put me on her back and then, we run away. The wrongdoers turn back and run behind us. I failed down from the back of my mother but my mother didn’t stopped. My grandmother tried to raise me but she was arrested by them. They automatically killed her by cutting her into pieces: they put the arms and legs aside and they put the head on a tree. I saw everything and I cried hard.

They started to disagreed over me: some wanted to kill me as soon as possible and others want to kill me later, after arresting my mother. Finally, they got an agreement: they dig a hole and put inside. Then, after covering me with the ground, they left. My mother, who was hiding herself nearby came and took away the ground and drag me out of the hole. She was traumatized and crying as she also saw everything that happened to my grandmother. After one day, we went back home and we found dead bodies of some relatives and burned houses. We also found that they stole our cows and every precious good we had. From that time, we lived a misery life: we couldn’t sleep well as our house was burned and we had no clothes to wear. I was full of sorrow.

Whenever I speak out what I passed through, I got very angry. My sorrow is fueled whenever I met those people who killed my relatives. My family and friends helped me a lot. Now, I am still angry but hopeful as I am growing up.

Many thank for IPB and its donors.