Upon arriving at the Nyarumanga landfill in Buterere zone, Ntahangwa commune in Bujumbura City, one can observes children and women from different neighborhoods of this zone searching for leftovers. They confided that they often frequent this place in the hope of finding something to eat. They explain that poverty, which heavily burdens their families these days, has driven them to such practices.
They add that instead of begging downtown, they prefer this place because, according to them, there are no police officers to chase them away as in town—here, they have total freedom. They also mention that besides food leftovers, they search for charcoal, clothes, and other materials to sell in order to support their families.
Most of the children have had to drop out of school due to poverty. Among them, prevail children from Batwa community which are most particularly affected. They report that they can return home with 3,000 or 5,000(under 1$) Burundian francs after selling the collected leftover materials. These children also mention that they help their parents, especially by contributing to the purchase of school supplies.
On the other hand, some women visit this site to collect leftover charcoal to sell, enabling them to buy flour to meet their families’ basic needs.
“I came here to look for leftover charcoal, but also for firewood discarded from town so that I can find something to feed my family,” says a mother of three.
Despite all of this, they fear contracting diseases due to poor hygiene and are calling on the relevant authorities to support vulnerable families. These people searching for a livelihood at Buterere dumpsite mostly come from Batwa communities and impoverished families in Buterere area.
The Association for the Protection of the Environment (ASEPE) expresses concern that this dumpsite poses a danger to the surrounding population. Innocent Banirwaninzigo, the president of this association, states that this site should not be a dumping ground because it is located too close to residential areas. He urges the authorities to relocate the site in the interest of public health.
Despite all this, they fear contracting diseases due to poor hygiene and are calling on the relevant authorities to support vulnerable families. These people searching for a livelihood at the Buterere dumpsite mostly come from Batwa communities and impoverished families in the Buterere area.
The Association for the Protection of the Environment (ASEPE) expresses concern that this dumpsite poses a danger to the surrounding population. Innocent Banirwaninzigo, the president of this association, states that this site should not be a dumping ground because it is located too close to residential areas. He urges the authorities to relocate the site in the interest of public health.
