La Promotricé

I was asked to interview one of our health promoters by World Relief so people could hear the story of one promoter’s life and better understand the Child Survival Project. I want to share a bit of her story with you, but first I need to tell you that World Relief works hard to employ local people, the heart and soul of the work.

Here is part of Spes’ story. She is the oldest promoter on staff, about my age. The others average about 26 years of age. Spes was born in rural Burundi to parents who are subsistence farmers. She grew up and was able to attend college in Kenya with her husband because of a scholarship from the Free Methodist Church. So she was married, had children and finished college all at once. She came back to Burundi to teach Bible and English classes at a local Bible school while her husband worked as a pastor. This ended abruptly in 1994 when she and her family had to flee to Rwanda and then back to Kenya because of the civil war. Her time away wasn’t easy. While in Kenya, she experienced a stroke that paralyzed her left side. Mind you, she was only about 37 years old at the time. She forgot how to do many menial things, including typing, but amazingly she remembered both Kirundi and English. Her rehabilitation occurred at a local missionary hospital where she was renewed physically and spiritually.

The family came back to Burundi in 1999 and worked as before for 3 years, but they again feared for their lives and Spes’ health. So the family took up residence in Bujumbura where Spes did not have a job. It was hard to make ends meet with 4 children, especially as they were entering secondary school and university. A friend of hers who works at Turame, a microfinance arm of World Relief, told Spes about the Child Survival Project. Spes was hired and spends her week days with us in Kibuye and her weekends with her family in Bujumbura.

In Spes’ words, the reason she enjoys her work spreading health messages are, “I love working with children; everywhere I pass I see children. Also, I enjoy it when I know I am helping my own people especially the life of ‘small people’ here, ordinary people who are not very rich and do not have everything. If I go back to my family (mother and father), I see they are living the same type of life.” She also said, “The community needs more teaching to develop. They look as if they are 'forgotten' people.”

Spes is my kindred sister.