Our partnership with African Road

The Batwa people, the oldest people group in Burundi, face systemic discrimination and live as internally displaced peoples without land, their traditional livelihood, or access to formal education. These indigenous people are not only the poorest but also the most marginalized people in Burundi, with many not even considered human by many Burundians. Discrimination is furthered by the fact that a vast majority of Batwa do not have National Identity Cards and are therefore not viewed as legal Burundian citizens. Without an ID, they cannot vote, pursue justice if a crime has been committed against them, own property, find employment, legally marry, easily access healthcare or other fundamental services. Children born to parents without IDs are not given a birth certificate, continuing the cycle. During the international COVID-19 pandemic, legal recognition of identity is more important than ever for securing health services.

One Day’s Wages’ partnered with African Road to support the Batwa ID Kit Project, which works towards citizenship and associated rights for the Batwa people. Through the project, serving entire villages at a time, Batwa people were issued IDs and other critical documents, including health insurance cards, birth certificates, voter registration documents, and civil marriage ceremonies. In addition African Road ensured access to key healthcare supplies, like clean water and soap, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beneficiaries are now on the road to self-sustainability; something that would have seemed impossible just a few years prior. Children are in education, people can travel freely, and healthcare is accessible.