Alliance Burundaise du Service Volontaire - ABSV is a young volunteer association and is keen to welcome you to Burundi, a beautiful fertile country at the north end of Lake Tanganyika and part of the Great Rift Valley. ABSV is a fairly new organization. Taking part in work camp here is a way of supporting the development of volunteering in this beautiful small country.
Period of volunteering:
ABSV is offering placements at two MTV locations during the period 02/12/2011 to 02/04/2012. Volunteers may stay for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 4 months, but if possible should arrive on the 2nd day of the month (see below).
Location:
1) Buterere (Bujumbura) - Buterere is a suburb on the edge of Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. Most of the people are poor and they suffer a lot from flooding when there are heavy rains. Buterere is quite near Bujumbura Airport.
2) Gihanga - Gihanga is in village in Bubanza province, about 20km from Bujumbura. People live from agriculture but life is hard. The place is too hot and there are no trees in that area, so getting water to drink is problem.
Work:
We shall have different activities and volunteers will select which they prefer to join. Activities will include painting of the centre, working at a youth centre, English teaching, cleaning the areas, intercultural exchange and tree planting. 20 members of the local community and 5 ABSV members will work with volunteers in each activity selected. The working day will normally be 6 hours. On free days volunteers will be able to visit some historical and touristic places.
Accommodation and food:
Volunteers will stay with host families in Buterere or Gihanga. Food will be provided by host families or prepared by the volunteers themselves. There is a chance for volunteers to showcase their own national dishes.
Arrival and orientation:
Volunteers should arrive on the 2nd day of the month to allow for one day’s orientation before starting work. Flights will be met at Bujumbura Airport (Kenya Airways, SN Brussels, and Ethiopian) provided ABSV is informed in advance. Visas can be issued on arrival and the need to be extended after arrival.
Hosting fee:
300 Euros per month payable on arrival.
Security:
Political situation in Burundi is not stable but this is not expected to put visitors at risk.
« I can say that the best things about the workcamp and this whole experience were the chance of making a real difference to the lives of very needy children. This is an extremely valuable project where volunteers can have a massive impact. Also the possibility of learning a huge amount about a country so different from our own. I learnt ten times as much by carrying out a workcamp than I would ever do backpacking. »
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