Burundi: Good Samaritans help Burundian refugees whose scholarships have been suspended by Marguerite Barankitse
That’s very good news. About fifty Burundian students who had taken refuge in Rwanda who had their scholarships suspended by Marguerite Barankitse’s Maison Shalom were rescued by Good Samaritans who paid them scholarships when they were in a situation of distress. These Burundian refugees who were hit by this unjust and unpopular measure were mainly students who were in their last year and others for whom only one year of study remained. Today, all those who were in a position to complete their studies after defending their graduation assignments and who risked missing their diplomas due to lack of scholarships are at ease; all the necessary money was collected and paid by Good Samaritans who showed love, charity towards these young people, the future of Burundi. We say thank you to all those who heard these cries of distress and who contributed with their financial means or moral support so that these refugees could complete their studies. May God keep you and guide you always in his right path.
We recall that more than 70 Burundian students, refugees in Rwanda, and who benefited from scholarships from Maison Shalom, suddenly saw their scholarships suspended without convincing explanation. It was not at all a problem of financial means; Maison Shalom executives first spoke of a problem of non-compliance with instructions, then of a misunderstanding. Indeed, these students who had an annual agreement with Maison Shalom were forced to suspend classes in March 2020 following the covid-19 pandemic which has put everyone in lockdown. After the lockdown, the students received messages asking them to write individual scholarship application letters while having an annual convention, which they did not know why. The universities reopened the doors before they had any answers from Maison Shalom and they presented themselves to the audiences for fear of sanctions at the university level, which sanctions could be the basis of the suspension of their scholarships according to the agreements they had signed with Maison Shalom. The reason given for cutting their purses was that they showed up to audiences without receiving any responses from Maison Shalom. An unfounded reason that hides other reasons not yet known until today because among these students who presented themselves to the respective universities without a prior answer from Maison Shalom, some were fortunate enough to find their scholarships. The reasons are not known either. Pure and simple favouritism and injustice for people who have fled injustice in their country and find it in exile, exercised by refugees like them. Paradox.
Among the students who were struck off the list of those that Maison Shalom assists, there remain about twenty (22) who were in 3rd, but who are now in their final year and who have not yet seen charitable souls to pay them scholarships. The important thing is that the campuses have allowed them to continue their studies; other benefactors will come forward. We continue to ask all those who care about the future of Burundian youth to also support these students so that they too complete their studies in due form.
URN HITAMWONEZA once again thanks the benefactors who have heard the cries of distress of these poor refugees and who have shown love for their neighbour and asks them to continue to plead for those who have not yet received assistance. However, we find it regrettable the behaviour of favouritism and injustice of certain Burundian refugees towards the youth, the future of our country. Tomorrow or the day after, Burundi will find security and peace for all and we will return to rebuild our dear nation. It is these young people who will be the leaders of tomorrow. These bad examples of injustice (which drove us to flee the country) should not characterize the leaders of tomorrow. We will have to break definitively with these practices so that tomorrow we can build a new Burundi.