Burundi Ndayishimiye Mobilizes Citizens Around Community Development in Gitega
The President of the Republic of Burundi and current Chairperson of the African Union, Évariste Ndayishimiye, took part this Saturday in community construction works involving the concrete casting of the future headquarters of the Organization for the Development of the Archdiocese of Gitega (ODAG), a five-story building designed to strengthen the operational capacity of this institution dedicated to social and community development.
The activity also brought together the Archbishop of Gitega, Bonaventure Nahimana, along with numerous citizens who came to contribute to the advancement of this project, which is considered strategic for the region.
Speaking on the occasion, President Ndayishimiye praised the efforts made by the Catholic Church in the realization of this important infrastructure. He emphasized the vital role of religious institutions in supporting the country’s socio-economic development and promoting the values of solidarity and collective responsibility.
During his address, the Head of State urged Burundians to abandon the culture of complaint and embrace a profound change in mindset based on hard work, innovation, and civic engagement. According to him, sustainable development can only be achieved through the active participation of all sectors of society.
President Ndayishimiye also called on religious leaders to intensify awareness campaigns on hygiene and cleanliness while encouraging believers to join production and savings cooperatives. He advocated for a development dynamic that begins within families and gradually expands to the communal, provincial, and national levels.
In the same spirit, the President urged the population to strengthen the fight against fraud and practices that hinder economic growth. He stressed the need for every citizen to contribute actively to the implementation of the Burundi Vision 2040–2060, an ambitious national program aimed at building a self-reliant, prosperous, and competitive nation.
To provide concrete support for the construction of the future ODAG-Caritas Gitega building, the Head of State announced a donation of one thousand bags of cement, demonstrating his personal commitment to the initiative.
Following the community work session, President Évariste Ndayishimiye visited an innovative brick-making machine developed by Burundian inventor Claude Bimenyimana. Using a mixture of soil and cement, the locally designed technology is capable of producing between 5,000 and 8,000 bricks per day.
This innovation highlights the dynamism of Burundian engineering and the government’s determination to promote local solutions as a driver of economic development and industrialization. Observers believe that this initiative fully aligns with the government’s vision of building an economy based on work, self-reliance, and the promotion of national expertise.
