BUJUMBURA, September 23rd (ABP) – The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, Albert Shingiro, the Ambassador of India to Burundi with residence in Kampala, Upender Singh Rawat, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system to Burundi, Violet Kakyomya and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Judicaël Elidge jointly signed, on Thursday, September 19, 2024, an agreement on the project to build the entrepreneurial capacities among young Burundians, financed by India and implemented by UNFPA.
The Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs indicated that this project funded by India to the tune of US dollars USD 1,200 million through the United Nations (UN) is a fruit of the dialogue that took place between Burundi, India via its representation to Burundi and the United Nations system to Burundi with a view to supporting Burundian youth in the implementation of bankable projects as well as in the search for and listening to information related to development.
That Burundian diplomat specified that this project, which is part of promoting the empowerment among young people, will be implemented in 30 districts of the country’s provinces including Bujumbura (4 districts), Cankuzo (5 districts), Kirundo, Gitega (6 districts), Makamba (6 districts) and Bujumbura mairie (3 districts), but that a dialogue between the stakeholders is planned in the context of alignment with the law on the new administrative division.
The UNFPA Resident Representative to Burundi, Judicaël Elidge, stressed that this project is highly important for Burundi because the Burundian government continues to demonstrate that Burundian youths, who make up about 2/3 of its population, remain at the heart of its programme. “Without this youth, we cannot achieve the expected results of the vision: Burundi, an emerging country in 2040 and a developed country in 2060,” he stressed.
According to Judicaël Elidge, entrepreneurship and youth empowerment are important, but those young entrepreneurs must be healthy, be young people who contribute to capitalizing on the peace that Burundi has achieved and to promoting the country’s essential cultural values.
He reassured that under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations system to Burundi and the Burundian government, UNFPA will work with the decentralized entities in those different districts to ensure that they enable more than 1,500 young Burundians and their communities to benefit from this integrated approach.
He finally thanked the Government of India which agreed to provide the funding in favor of young Burundians.