Dreaming for Change

06/10/2026

Every month, community members come together to volunteer at the Dreaming for Change community center, contributing their time, energy and skills to support the growth of our shared spaces.
Last week, community members joined D4C teachers to help prepare a playground area for our primary school students on campus.

This kind of community engagement reminds us that D4C is not only building for the community, we are building with the community. When parents, neighbors, local leaders and staff work together, children benefit from safer, more welcoming and more dignified learning environments.

28/09/2026

Last week, we joyfully welcomed our students back to school for a new academic year at Butanuka Community Academy. As we begin this new school year, our commitment remains the same: to provide quality education in a safe, nurturing and dignified environment where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.

We are grateful to our teachers, staff, parents, donors and partners who continue to make this journey possible. Here is to a new year of learning, growth, joy and transformation.

23/09/2026

𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 ✨

Behind every program, every classroom, every community visit and every family we serve, there are people carrying responsibility, pressure, hope and purpose. Last week, all 63 staff members of Dreaming for Change came together for a staff retreat centered on wellbeing, spiritual renewal, stress management and stronger relationships.

We created space to rest, laugh, dance, share meals, pray, reflect and simply enjoy one another’s presence. We also had important conversations about recognizing stress, protecting our wellbeing and remaining spiritually grounded as D4C continues to grow and become more professional.

The retreat reminded us that professionalism is not only about stronger systems, better plans or increased accountability. It is also about becoming healthier people, healthier leaders and a healthier team.

As our responsibilities grow, we want to protect the compassion, faith, joy, and sense of purpose that brought us into this work in the first place. Taking care of the people who carry the mission is part of sustaining the mission itself.

Bringing all 63 members of our team together also gave us a rare opportunity to reconnect across departments and programs, strengthen relationships, appreciate one another and remember that we are carrying this mission together. We returned encouraged, more connected, and renewed for the work ahead.

A heartfelt thank you to Imago Dei Fund for making this meaningful time possible 💛

16/09/2026

𝐀 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐒𝐋𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 🐐

Today, Dreaming for Change officially launched its goat rearing value chain model by distributing 100 goats to a selected group of VSLA members.

This is not just a goat distribution. It is the beginning of a rotational community model designed to help families build assets, strengthen household resilience and create sustainable livelihoods.

Before the goats were distributed, the livestock delegation from the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock joined us to vaccinate the goats and ensure they were healthy and ready to be handed over to the community. We are grateful for this technical support and collaboration, which helps protect both the animals and the families who will care for them.

Through this model, the first beneficiaries receive goats and commit to passing on the first healthy female kid to another VSLA member who has not yet received one. In this way, the impact will continue to grow from one family to another, and from one VSLA member to the next. By integrating goat rearing into our VSLA model, we are using trusted community structures to create long-term economic opportunities for women and families in rural communities.

We are deeply grateful to our donors and partners whose support makes this kind of community transformation possible.

14/09/2026

As schools officially open today in Burundi, we are grateful to look back on the beautiful summer activities our children enjoyed at Dreaming for Change. During the holidays, children had the opportunity to learn, play, create, explore and grow through different activities including drawing, coloring, games, outdoor learning and group sessions.

For us, summer activities are not just a way to keep children busy. They are part of our commitment to helping children build confidence, creativity, social skills and a love for learning. We are excited to welcome our students into a new school year full of hope, learning and new opportunities.

11/09/2026

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚

Dreaming for Change organized a community sensitization session in Kanenga, Butanuka Zone, Mpanda Commune, bringing together VSLA members, local leaders, women, men, and young people.

The session focused on three important themes: 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Using a participatory community approach, the D4C team shared practical messages, asked questions and encouraged community members to respond, discuss and learn together.

Participants who gave good answers received small prizes, making the session lively, engaging and memorable. Topics included modern agriculture, soil protection, prevention of gender-based violence, hygiene, disease prevention, maternal and child nutrition and the use of local foods to fight malnutrition.

We strongly believe that lasting change begins when communities are informed, engaged and equipped with practical knowledge.

03/09/2026

At Dreaming for Change, every infrastructure project is connected to a bigger purpose: serving children and families with dignity.

We are currently upgrading and enlarging our kitchen so we can better serve the growing number of children on our campus, children in our home-based ECD centers and our staff.

As part of this upgrade, we are also transitioning from cooking with charcoal to using gas, making meal preparation cleaner, safer, faster and more sustainable. We are grateful that some of the kitchen and bakery items we purchased from China have now arrived. The new kitchen will also include a bakery, where we plan to produce healthy bread using a gas oven.

This kitchen is more than a building. It is part of the system that makes quality education, child nutrition and community wellbeing possible in rural Burundi.

30/08/2026

𝟐𝟎𝟎 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧.

From August 26-28, 2026, Dreaming for Change brought together 200 high school girls from different parts of Burundi for the 2nd edition of the Girls Rising for Change annual retreat at our community campus in Butanuka.

For many girls growing up in rural communities, staying in school is only part of the challenge. Access to mentors, role models, career guidance and people who encourage them to dream beyond their circumstances can be just as important.

During the retreat, the girls participated in conversations on education, health, confidence, leadership, personal choices and future opportunities. One of the highlights was our Girls Rising talk show, “𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩,” bringing together women and leaders from different sectors to share their journeys and remind the girls that they, too, can lead and build meaningful futures.

These 200 girls remain part of the Girls Rising for Change Scholarship program and D4C will continue paying their school fees, providing mentorship, following their progress and supporting their education throughout the academic year.

And we are thinking even bigger.

Our 2026-2030 vision is to provide scholarships to 2,000 girls across Burundi, especially girls from rural and underserved communities. To every donor, partner, speaker, volunteer and friend who helped make this possible: thank you for investing in the education and future of Burundi’s girls.

27/08/2026

We are LIVE from Butanuka! 🎥

The 2nd edition of the Girls Rising for Change annual retreat is underway, bringing together 200 girls and young women for learning, mentorship, leadership, health conversations and inspiration.

Join us live and follow the conversations as our girls engage with leaders, educators and professionals who are encouraging them to dream, make informed choices and shape their future.

Watch the livestream [in kirundi language] and be part of this special moment with us

Girls Rising for change Retreat Brings together Leaders from differ...

25/08/2026

This week, we gather in Butanuka for the 2nd edition of the Girls Rising for Change annual retreat. From August 26-28, 2026, Dreaming for Change will bring together 200 girls and young women for three days of learning, mentorship, inspiration, reflection and preparation for the new school year.

We are honored to welcome an inspiring group of educators, leaders, professionals and partners who will share their journeys, experiences and encouragement with the girls.

Through conversations on education, leadership, health, perseverance, entrepreneurship, personal growth and future opportunities, we want every girl to leave the retreat believing more deeply in her potential and in the future she can build.

Girls Rising for Change is about more than keeping girls in school. It is about helping them dream, lead, make informed choices and shape their own future.

Segal Family Foundation, United for Children Burundi bw' Uno Munsi - UCBUM, Gahama Ineza Tania, Gael Wood, Jana Phillips Duke, Connie Green, U.S. Embassy Bujumbura, Burundi, Emmanuel Nsabimana