BUJUMBURA, January 15th (ABP) – Burundian youths engaged in the preservation of Burundian culture ask for support in order to showcase their contribution, because culture allows the country to shine internationally, said Jean d’Arc Niyongabo, president and artistic director of the ABASAMANDARI ASBL association, based in Bujumbura, during an interview he gave to a check by ABP.
The association brings together young university students. According to its artistic director, it was created in order to “promote Burundian culture and promote their personal and professional development.”
Niyongabo noted that guidelines in this cultural sector are necessary, clear directives and good guidance in Burundian culture must be clearly defined in order to guide people who would like to get involved in the sector. “This situation makes it difficult for artists to access markets, acquire production equipment and gain recognition for their works,” he noted.
In the face of these challenges, Niyongabo calls on the government and stakeholders to “strengthen their support for the cultural sector through funding, infrastructure development and capacity building in the field of arts and culture, in order to promote Burundi’s international influence.”
The association offers young people a space to learn the arts (both written and oral) and encourages them to pass on this knowledge in order to perpetuate traditions; 60 children have been trained in this way. To date, the association has produced some 15 plays and participated in international events in Rwanda, Kenya and Ouagadougou, Niyongabo revealed.