MUYINGA, June 3 (ABP) – Young people should roll up their sleeves and engage in various trades to develop themselves, said Nzokurishaka Ramadhan, representative of the Association of Repatriated Youth of Burundi (AJRB), which is made up of young people who returned from various refugee camps in neighboring countries.
In an interview with ABP on Friday, May 30, 2025, on Karira village in Gasorwe commune, Mr. Nzokurishaka, a young man living with a physical disability, explained that he received training from a Danish organization while he was in exile at a refugee camp in Tanzania. There, he learned how to turn food waste into peat briquettes using fruit peels and leaves from both edible and inedible plants.
According to him, processing and using these waste materials does not harm the environment, unlike other products that are burned. This eco-friendly advantage encourages many people to adopt them, as they are highly beneficial.
Compared to the price of charcoal, he added, these waste-based briquettes are much more economical; for example, a sack costs around 40,000 Burundian francs, while a sack of charcoal ranges between 70,000 and 80,000 francs.
He also emphasized the value of these transformed briquettes. When waste is properly processed and used, it is not wasted but instead brings benefits to the community.
Nevertheless, he lamented the lack of work tools such as barrels, cooking pots for processing the waste, hammers, shovels, and sufficient workspace. This shortage prevents him from properly storing some of his products, which then deteriorate.
Nzokurishaka appealed for support from benefactors in the form of equipment so that he can train others.
He encouraged young people, even those living with disabilities but still able to work, to roll up their sleeves and pursue trades to build a better future.