Dreaming for Change

26/05/2026

𝐀𝐦𝐲-𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐭é’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐤𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲

Amy Fierté is a grade 4 learner at Butanuka Community Academy. Before joining our community school, she studied at a nearby fundemental school where one of the biggest challenge was the frequent absence of teachers.

“ 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠, 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑠”, 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑.

Her experience changed significantly after joining our community school (Butanuka Community Academy).

“𝐴𝑡 𝐷4𝐶 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑢𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝 𝑢𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟”.

Through regular teaching, remedial sessions and encouragement from her teachers, Amy Fierté has gained more confidence in class. She now dreams of becoming one of the top students in her class this term.

Her story shows why quality education matters. With committed teachers and supportive learning environments, children can grow, dream bigger and build a better future.

22/05/2026

Josiane’s journey: From uncertainty to a dream of becoming a medical Doctor.

Josiane Irankunda is currently in her final year of high school at “Lycée Communal Heritage” of Musenyi in Mpanda Commune. But her journey to this point has not been easy.

There was a time when Josiane thought her dream of finishing school would never come true. Coming from a family facing serious financial difficulties, she often worried about whether she would continue her education. Even though she was a strong student, the lack of school fees, uniforms, books, and other basic school materials almost forced her to give up.

“ My mother passed away when I was still very young. Later, after conflicts at home, my father left me and my little sister behind. Our stepmom refused to take care of us, and we were sent to live with our grandmother. Life became very difficult. My grandmother was a farmer, and although she did everything she could to support us, she did not have enough means. I tried to stay in school, taking on small jobs and working for others so I could find something to pay my fees. Sometimes my grandmother would help with the little she had. That’s how I managed to continue until grade 7. But at some point, continuing school was no longer possible. ”

Everything changed when Josiane joined the Girls Rising for Change program supported by Dreaming for Change where she received full scholarship including school fees, uniforms, books and other essential school materials. This support gave her the chance to stay in school and continue pursuing their dreams.

Today, Josiane is a symbol of hope and determination. She is no longer the desperate girl who feared dropping out of school. She is now preparing to finish high school and hopes to continue to university where she dreams of studying medicine so she can one day serve her community as a medical Doctor.

19/05/2026

We are deeply grateful and honored to officially begin a five-year partnership with Micah 6:8 Foundation https://micah-68.org/

This partnership is not only a grant; it is a meaningful commitment to deepen impact, strengthen our systems and continue serving children, youths and families in Burundi with humility, dignity, hope and justice. Thank you, Micah 6:8 Foundation, for believing in locally led change.

19/05/2026

Dreaming for Change supports children facing malnutrition in Butanuka through our Porridge program, which provides families with nutritious food such as porridge, milk and eggs to help children regain their health, strength, and hope.

Fleury was severely malnourished and suffering from oedema, a serious sign of acute malnutrition. His condition was worrying and his mother had almost lost hope of seeing him survive. Through D4C’s nutrition program, our nurse identified the seriousness of his condition. D4C took Fleury to Bubanza Hospital and paid his medical bills so he could receive urgent therapeutic milk support.

Our Community Health Workers also continued to visit Fleury’s home to monitor his recovery and support the family. Today, Fleury weighs 22 kg, his oedema has completely disappeared and his health has greatly improved.

His story reflects D4C’s holistic model: we make sure Fleury goes to school, his mother joins a VSLA group and the family participates in our farming program to fight malnutrition and hunger at the root

18/05/2026

12/05/2026

📚 📚 Butanuka Community Academy is a school that places the highest value on the quality of education.

The academy introduced a new learning program “Social-emotional learning” session designed specifically for preschool students. This initiative focuses on helping children recognize their emotions and learn how to manage them effectively. The sessions aim to support young learners in understanding their feelings, building healthy relationships, and adopting positive social behaviors.

These monthly sessions will explore a variety of themes to deepen students’ emotional and social awareness. For the month of April, the theme is “Recognize and Express Feelings,” which emphasizes teaching children how to identify and express their emotions in a calm and constructive way.

The first session was attended by 80 preschool students 👩‍🎓 . Throughout the month, teachers will continue to expand on this theme through a combination of theoretical lessons and practical activities

07/05/2026

Restoring dignity through financial empowerment 💵

Financial dependence can limit women’s choices, silence their voices and leave them vulnerable.
Since 2019, Dreaming for Change has worked tirelessly to break this cycle by empowering women through savings groups, entrepreneurship and economic opportunities.

Today, we celebrate the inspiring story of Claudette BIGIRIMANA, whose smile reflects the transformation she has experienced through D4C’s financial empowerment program.

Six years ago, Claudette was living in poverty and depended entirely on her husband for survival. Hope returned when she joined the Dufashanye savings group and began making small but consistent savings. Step by step, her life started to change.

Claudette is now raising pigs and has rented a maize plot. With the income she earns, she can provide food for her family and pay school fees for her four children without the same struggles she faced before.

“In 2021, I used my savings from the group to buy a pig for 50,000 BIF. Later, I sold it for 200,000 BIF, and today it has produced piglets that I also sell for income.
I was also able to rent a maize field, which means we now eat well at home. I no longer face major difficulties, and I feel more respected and valued by my husband since I started contributing to the household. I have four children, and I can provide for their needs without problems.”

The growth of the Dufashanye group shows the power of collective savings and determination. When the group first started, members shared around 1,500,000 BIF. In 2025, they shared out 11,000,000 BIF.

Through financial empowerment, women like Claudette are not only improving their livelihoods , they are reclaiming their dignity, confidence and voice

04/05/2026

As we continue our Labor day month of appreciation, today we highlight the Executive Director’s office and the administration support services that help Dreaming for Change function with vision, accountability, care and professionalism.

The ED provides overall leadership, strategic direction, partnership building, fundraising and coordination across the organization. This leadership is supported by key services including Human Resources & Safeguarding, Finance, Donor Engagement & Communications, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning.

While much of this work happens behind the scenes, it is essential to every program we run. These teams help support staff, protect children and vulnerable people, manage resources, communicate our impact, track learning and ensure that D4C continues to grow as a strong and trusted organization. Today, we celebrate the leadership, systems, relationships and accountability that keep D4C moving forward.

03/05/2026

As we continue our Labor Day celebration throughout this month, we are highlighting two close programs: community empowerment, livelihood and well-being programs.
We celebrate the teams working every day to strengthen livelihoods, improve well-being and build a more resilient community.

Through financial inclusion, VSLAs, vocational training, agriculture, food security, community engagement, health services and the porridge program, D4C supports families to build stronger and healthier lives.

These programs help women, youths, children and families gain practical skills, improve household income, access nutritious food and receive basic health support within the community. We believe education becomes stronger when families are healthy, empowered, and able to care for their children with dignity.

02/05/2026

As we continue highlighting the teams and programs that make D4C’s mission possible, today we celebrate our Education Programs.

At D4C, education is at the heart of our work. Through Butanuka Community Academy, our early childhood development, Girls’ Education initiatives, the community library and computer lab, we are creating learning opportunities for children, young people, teachers and the wider community.

Our education work includes preschool, primary education, teacher training, home-based ECD, preschool activities, girls’ scholarships, internet and computer training, the community library and English learning.

For us, education is not only about classrooms. It is about giving children and youth the foundation to dream, think, grow and build a better future. Today, we celebrate the teachers, education staff, and learning support teams who work every day to make quality education possible in our community.

01/05/2026

Happy Labor Day from Dreaming for Change !

This May, we are highlighting the departments and programs that make D4C’s work possible every day. Today, we begin with our operations Department coordinated by our operations Manager and supported by dedicated team members across different services.

The growth of our campus, classrooms, offices, playground spaces, water systems, electricity and ongoing construction, is made possible through their daily work. They also support logistics and procurement, keep our spaces clean and safe, manage security and inventory and help ensure that staff, students and visitors are welcomed and served including through kitchen and feeding support.

Much of their work happens behind the scenes but its impact is visible everywhere at D4C.

Today, we honor their hard work, commitment, and service.

Happy Labor Day !