Income projects empower women in Burundi – United Methodist News Service

Report on Women’s Empowerment Initiatives in the Burundi Conference and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1.0 Introduction and Executive Summary

Women within the Burundi Conference have initiated a series of income-generating projects aimed at achieving financial independence, supporting their families, and contributing to church programs. These initiatives, which include vocational training, agriculture, and financial cooperatives, align directly with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning poverty, gender equality, and economic growth. The conference leadership, including Bishop Emmanuel Sinzohagera, provides significant support, fostering an environment of inclusion and empowerment.

• Projects focus on vocational skills, agriculture, and financial inclusion.
• Strong alignment with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
• Church leadership actively supports women’s participation and economic empowerment.
• A financial cooperative has been established to provide capital for female entrepreneurs.

2.0 Contribution to SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Vocational training, particularly in tailoring, is a cornerstone of the economic empowerment strategy, directly promoting skills development and entrepreneurship.

2.1 Tailoring Training Centers

• The United Methodist Women’s Center at Nyabugogo United Methodist Church offers a three-month tailoring course.
• The program is inclusive, open to both men and women from the community regardless of their denomination, contributing to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).
• Graduates are equipped with the necessary skills to establish their own tailoring businesses, creating sustainable livelihoods.
• The conference has supported these centers by providing sewing machines, such as the seven given to Kayero District and ten provided for a cooperative.

3.0 Contribution to SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 2: Zero Hunger

The initiatives provide direct pathways to poverty alleviation through diversified income streams and enhanced food security.

3.1 Agricultural and Livestock Projects

Multiple districts have established projects focused on agriculture and animal husbandry to improve household income and nutrition.

1. Kayero District: Nearly 2,000 members engage in farming maize, wheat, and sunflowers, alongside rearing goats, pigs, and chickens.
2. Murehe District: Women farm maize, beans, and rice and rear rabbits, goats, and chickens.
3. Kinyinya District: Over 3,400 members are involved in farming cassava and rearing cattle, goats, and pigs.

3.2 Financial Inclusion: The Abundant Life Cooperative

• To address the lack of access to capital, the women have formed the Abundant Life Cooperative.
• This financial institution pools members’ finances, allowing them to borrow capital to start or expand their business ventures.
• The cooperative currently holds approximately BIF 12 million ($4,000 USD), providing a crucial resource for economic advancement and poverty reduction.

4.0 Contribution to SDG 5: Gender Equality

The Burundi Conference demonstrates a strong commitment to gender equality by ensuring women’s full participation in church leadership and decision-making processes.

• Women are fully integrated at all levels of the church and participate in all conference activities.
• There is no gender discrimination, with women serving as liturgists, preachers, and in other leadership roles alongside their male counterparts.
• Conference and episcopal leadership actively encourage and support these empowerment projects, recognizing women as vital contributors to the church and community. Bishop Sinzohagera’s vision emphasizes strengthening unity and self-reliance, viewing the empowerment of women, who constitute a majority of the church membership, as essential.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article focuses on income-generating projects designed to help women sustain their families and uplift their living standards, directly addressing poverty alleviation.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  Several women’s groups are engaged in farming (maize, beans, rice, cassava) and rearing livestock (goats, pigs, chickens), which contributes to food security for their households and communities.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The establishment of tailoring centers that offer three-month training courses provides vocational skills to community members, enhancing their opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  A central theme is the empowerment of women, their full participation in church leadership and activities, and the support they receive to become financially independent, challenging traditional gender roles.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article highlights the creation of small businesses and entrepreneurship. The training programs equip graduates with skills to “set up their own tailoring businesses,” promoting productive employment and economic independence.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
  • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The projects aim to provide women with a stable income to “sustain their families” and “uplift our living standards.”
  • Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to… financial services. The formation of the “Abundant Life Cooperative” allows women to pool finances and “borrow capital to expand their ventures,” directly improving access to financial services.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women… The article describes women in Kayero and Murehe districts engaging in “farming maize, wheat and sunflowers, and rearing goats, pigs and chickens” to “fend for their households.”
• SDG 4: Quality Education
  • Target 4.4: By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. The “three-month tailoring course” is a direct example of providing vocational skills, as its graduates are “equipped with skills to set up their own tailoring businesses.”
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
  • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The article explicitly states, “women are included at all levels. We participate in all conference activities and areas,” and “There is no gender discrimination in the church; women can be liturgists, preachers or anything they choose.”
  • Target 5.a: Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources… The entire initiative, supported by church leadership, focuses on empowering women through income-generating projects, skills training, and access to capital via the cooperative.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, entrepreneurship… and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. The support from church leadership in providing sewing machines and encouraging the formation of a cooperative fosters entrepreneurship and the growth of small businesses.
  • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… The goal to make women and youth “financially independent” through skills and entrepreneurship directly aligns with this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work)
  • Number of new businesses established: The article states that “trainees establishing their own sewing businesses after completing the training.” This is a direct indicator of entrepreneurship.
  • Amount of capital available for loans: The “Abundant Life Cooperative” is mentioned to have “about BIF 12 million ($4,000 USD) in its account,” which is a quantifiable measure of access to financial services.
  • Number of project participants: The article mentions “almost 2,000 members in Kayero” and “over 3,400 members” in Kinyinya District, indicating the scale of participation in these economic activities.
• For SDG 4 (Quality Education)
  • Number of people trained: While not giving a specific number, the existence of a “three-month tailoring course” that is “open to men and women from the community” implies that the number of graduates can be tracked as an indicator of skills development.
• For SDG 5 (Gender Equality)
  • Proportion of women in leadership positions: The article identifies several women in leadership roles, such as “Pascaline Nijimbere, the Burundi Conference women’s president,” “Kessie Bucumi, Kayero District women’s leader,” and “Godelieve Manirakiza, the Burundi Conference women’s national coordinator.” This serves as a qualitative indicator of women’s participation in decision-making.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: umnews.org