No Money; No Problem! How one poor community came together to sustain their local school

“Development projects come and go as quickly as the weather.” This comment came from the back of the van as we snaked our way through the countryside, and was about as true a statement as you could make about Burundi. 

Ironically, it was a visit we were about to make that would turn that idea on its head. I was travelling with two of our network members, visiting and encouraging community leaders who were practicing community centred development.

Pulling up to the Asante Primary School in Ngozi, we were met by Christella, who showed us around the property. We knew the school had received funding in the past and expected a typical western project, with local management, and little chance of sustainability beyond the involvement of the funders.

It took only a few minutes with Christella to realize she was much more than a manager. Though a number of organizations had played a role in the history of this school, the one constant was Christella. She spoke of the vision she had for primary education long before the school had been built. When the donor organization left the project, her funding dried up, but her vision did not. She began to shake the bushes for more funds, not appealing to International donors, but going door-to-door in the capital city of Bujumbura. 

More significantly, she began to mobilize the local community. She told them if they wanted a school, they would have to contribute. People began giving their time, money and materials. Less impoverished families gave sections of land while others worked the land to generate income for the school. Eventually an association was formed, which galvanized their vision and gave them a practical structure to advance their skills, borrow and share credit, and strategize for the future. 

On our way back to the van, Christella pointed out their most recent accomplishment, an outdoor cooking and eating area for the students. “It was the community who did it”, she said. They built it, they provide the food, and they are there each morning to serve the children. 

As the mid-afternoon rain pelted the windshield, we zoomed off to our next stop, all the while debating what had given this school its staying power and success. We reflected on all the people and contributions that had made the school possible. While many had a hand in the school's success - from local volunteers to distant donors - it was Christella’s comment that echoed in my ears, “It was the community who did it.”