Week Twenty-seven's Work is CompleteEach week we introduce you to the children of Hope Centre Burundi. We upload a picture of one child and give you their story.
Yvan Nkunzimana
Yvan's StoryYvan is 12 years old.
In this photograph are Yvan (holding the baby), and in the front from left to right, his sister Solange, cousins, Kevin and Jimmy. Yvan is currently living with a family upcountry who are taking care of him until the Hope Centre is completed.
When Yvan was 4 years old his parents were taken out of the house and killed during a time of severe ethnic infighting in Burundi. There were many orphaned children in his village and Pastor Leonard took Yvan to live with him. Unfortunately Yvan didn’t start school until he was 9 and had some problems so he is still in primary two.
House Number Four:Last weekend I was asked to go with Simon Guillebaud to Uganda and assist with a film which he is making to accompany his book so unfortunately I wasn't around to update the website.
This week however we see that house number four's walls are now going up. With work steadily, if not a little slowly, continuing on the first house.
The rear windows and door are fitted and aligned:
Timber shuttering is positioned above the openings to enclose the steel bars and concrete:
The shuttering is removed to reveal the full length concrete beam. This all gets rendered smooth at a later stage.
Work also continues on the other house walls:
Here are houses three and two:
In this image you are seeing the walls for houses four, three and two:
All around the site holes are being dug and filled with good soil in preparation for the many different fruit trees that have been donated:
President Pierre Nkurunziza visits Hope Centre:On the 27th December 2008 president of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza paid a visit to Hope Centre. Here is a movie clip of his visit as seen on the local television.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpIZaqB1T6o
Non-GiftAid Donations: 
GiftAid Donations: 
Here are different ways to contact us in Burundi
Email:
Val Carr = vcarr@HopeCentreBurundi.com
Charles Carr = ccarr@HopeCentreBurundi.com
[size=16px]New Mobile Phone Numbers:
Val Carr: (00257) 79239810
Charles Carr (00257) 79239809
Our New House Phone Number:
Use this number sequence and you will only pay 4p per minute.
Dial: 08444 287287 & wait for a voice and then..
Dial: 00257 22259608[/size]
Please email us and let us know if you don't manage to contact us on these numbers.
1. The whole site now has a temporary fence around its perimeter.
2. All six main foundation walls for each house are now in place.
3. The four main Septic tanks have been built and mostly finished.
4. The nine man holes servicing the houses have been built.
5. The foundation walls for both external toilet blocks also containing showers and sinks have been built.
6. The four large soak-a-ways have been built.
7. One very large shed for block production and workers shelter has been built.
8. One 20' container for storing tools and materials has been bought.
9. The foundations for the 40' container have been built.
10. Two workman's huts have been built.
11. One workers pit latrine has been built.
12. 4 block presses have been purchased and thousands of blocks have now been manufactured.
13. One large truck has been purchased and is being used daily.
14. Work is progressing well with facing brick-type block walls on the houses.
15. We have provided steady work and an important source of income for the families of this very poor community.
Pastor Leonard
Pastor Leonard's StoryPastor Leonard was born in 1971, the youngest of five children. His parents were killed in a mass killing of their ethnic group in 1972. The children struggled to survive and look after each other for many years.
As a teenager Leonard was full of hatred and wanted to avenge the killing of his parents, but he became a Christian when he was 18 and was able to meet and forgive those who had killed his parents. He felt God told him clearly that he was to look after others who were orphaned as he had been.
At the time his circumstances did not allow him to do this, but he was ordained as a Pastor in 1996, and was able to take in his first orphan in 1997, just before he was married.
His wife partners him in this ministry and they now care for over 40 orphans in addition to their own three children.
Around about April this year Pastor Leonard's land-lord for the house that he was staying in asked Pastor Leonard and all the family and children to move out of the property which they were renting. Obviously this was an impossible situation for them. Latterly Pastor Leonard managed to negotiate a compromise with the land lord whereby his immediate family and a few of the orphans could stay in the property until his house was built. This meant that the remaining orphans had to be farmed out to friends that would be willing to take them. Pastor Leonard continues to provide food and clothing for these children which is now even more difficult for him. Thankfully though you have helped him greatly with your regular child support donations.
Here is an indicator for where we are with the funding for Hope Centre Burundi. Every little helps.
August 01, 2008, 08:38:15 PM
Donate With PayPal