Since a decade ago, with the emergence of Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and other Arab countries in Asia, during these days, we are seeing women’s mass and young men leaving Burundi to go to the above mentioned countries, looking for job opportunities where they risk their lives. Those women are being recruited by different people and gathered in different centers where they spend between one and two months for instructions before they are taken in those Arab countries, taking advantage of their poverty and the consequence of the socio-economic crisis that Burundi has experienced since decades.

We are all aware of the testimonies from these women who have barely and hardly escaped from the nightmares they go through for years. But also testimonies from those who are still in the same difficult situation in the Arab countries. It is alleged that once upon their arrival in the Arab countries for the promised employment their passports are detained and their means of communication. What they go through there is far from what they were promised or told. They work in awful conditions mistreated without healthcare or assistance, with very low salary and no freedom. Their rights are practically taken away from and denied. And the worst thing is that they cannot leave whenever they want to because they don’t have their passports anymore. The local police is rarely very little help to them.

These women often leave behind broken families at home. And in most cases, these families have spent most of their life savings to finance the process hoping for a better future.

On the religion matter, the consequences are as important as any other. It’s alleged that these women must comply to all the Islam rules and culture. Often obliged and forced to apostasy. Those who try to stay true to their religion are not without consequences as they are severely punished and persecuted.

These women are devastated and traumatized to a point that they do not know their true identities anymore. In the past, hundreds of Burundian women have been trafficked by cartels to work in housekeeping jobs in Arab countries - with some saying they endured extreme domestic violence. Even when they are ill they are forced to work.

It has never been easy dealing with such regional and global issues. But issues such as these should be tackled from the roots. Meaning the root countries of the victims because that’s where it all begins. Where they get the information, training and recruitments. Working on preventing the plague, those who are already there in those Arab countries should not be forgotten.

Today, in our church tens of women and young men left the church to go to Saudi Arabia looking for job opportunities in exchange of losing their rights and must comply to all the Islam rules and culture. The worst thing is that they cannot leave whenever they want to because they don’t have their passports anymore. Currently in our church more than a hundred of women and young men are looking for the same opportunity to leave the church and the country to go to Arab Countries.

To reduce this women’s mass and young men leaving Burundi to go to Arab countries where they are taken as slaves and maltreated, we need to set up a Micro Finance Project by giving them a loan which will allow them to do small businesses.

Our Objectives: `

- Create an environment which will help the beneficiaries fight poverty and improve the conditions of their living

- Help them become independent and self-sufficient as they were before the crisis

- Reintegrate them in a new way of living which gives hope for tomorrow

- Enabling them to care for themselves and their families

Expected Results:

- They will become independent and self-sufficient as they were before the crisis

- They will be reintegrate in a new way of living which gives hope for tomorrow

- Their way of living will be improved and will be able to feed their families, pay medication, school fees and school material for their children

- A number of women’s and young men to leave Burundi to go to Arab Countries will be reduced

To Start this Project, we need $25,000. This amount will enable us to give a loan to 150 women and young men to start small businesses in our church and surrounding community.

To donate now click on the following link: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/providing-education-to-450-youths-in-ruhagarika/

(Global Giving is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, making your donation fully tax deductible ) or make check to FSN/JRMD 7019 47th Ave SW

Unit 5 Seattle, WA 97136

You can help us reduce this women’s mass and young men leaving Burundi to go to Arab countries where they are taken as slaves and maltreated.

Prosper Ndabishuriye

General Coordinator and Founder