Blog

I would like to begin my summer update with gratitude to BFI Intern, Peilla Ishimwe, to Del Mar Rotary Club, and to Project Concern International, all combining for powerful impact in Burundi.

Hello, everyone!

The YWCA of Central Massachusetts has announced five recipients of this year’s Katharine F. Erskine Awards, which will be presented at a celebration at Mechanics Hall on May 7.

We proudly introduce BFI Volunteer, Azarias Ngengurutse. This is his story, written verbatim in his fourth language, English. Enjoy.

Burundi coffee will be a trending specialty coffee across the world very soon. You heard it here first! Many of you have texted and emailed us pictures of Burundi at Starbucks and local coffee shops.

By Executive Director, Julie Marner

Tour de Force, Part One: Hewlett Packard, Health, Making Music and Developing Beautiful Hearts

By Executive Director, Julie Marner

It’s officially official. Today marks the LAST DAY to donate for RAGBRAI 2018. We could really use your support to help us wrap up this Campaign with a bang!

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to donate to our 2018 RAGBRAI Ride! If you thrive off deadlines, now is your time to shine!

IF YOU WATCH 1 THING TODAY IT SHOULD BE THIS! Our friends in Burundi send a heartfelt thank you to the whole BFI Family, for your support of RAGBRAI!

On behalf of the entire Cycling4Burundi team, we want to take a moment to thank our BFI Family! Thank you for your outpouring of support, encouragement, and love throughout our RAGBRAI journey!

“And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.” Genesis 2:3.

RAGBRAI Day 7: The Final Cycle!

Live from RAGBRAI we bring you, Day 6! Today’s ride took our team on a 58-mile ride, from charming Sigourney to the big city life in Iowa City!

RAGBRAI Day 5 and the team is still chugging along! Today’s ride took our courageous team from Newton to Sigourney, a quaint city with a population of 2,059.

Hot off the press! RAGBRAI Day 4 finished and the team’s still groovin’! With today’s 59-mile wild ride from Ames to Newton, we’ve reached the halfway point of our journey.

Day 3 of RAGBRAI done and dusted! Today our Cycling4Burundi adventurers traversed the Iowan roads from Jefferson to Ames, bringing in a 62-mile ride.

News Flash! 72 miles and over 7 hours of riding! That’s what Day 2 of RAGBRAI had in store for our Cycling4Burundi team.

Breaking News from Iowa! Day 1 of RAGBRAI started in Onawa, took the riders 43.5 miles with 1,558 feet of climb, and finished in Denison. And supposedly this is the easiest day of the entire route!

You’ve read exciting interviews with each of our Cycling4Burundi team members! You’ve seen what bicycles mean to everyday life in different parts of Burundi! And starting tomorrow, the time has finally come for the Feature Presentation.

Today we take you on a ride to Gihanga Commune in Bubanza Province. In this community, bicycles are a necessity for daily survival. Community members most basic needs, like access to clean water, can only be met by riding miles from home on bike.

When people ask about BFI, we usually talk about our Mission, our Vision, and the projects we’re passionate about in Burundi. You’ve probably heard us discussing Education, Economic Empowerment, and English Clubs.

This just in! We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you the man of this and every hour, Innocent Niyongabo! As Vice President of the BFI English Education Program, Innocent was once described as ‘The Burundian MLK’.

What do you envision yourself doing when you’re 65? From a list of endless options, you could spend your time enjoying retirement, taking beachfront vacations, or finally getting around to writing that best-selling memoir.

Today we take you to upcountry Burundi, which can only be reached by off-roading, 4-by-4ing, or, if you have the strength and stamina, cycling! And believe us, you want to stay tuned.

You’ve already been to Bujumbura City and back again on our RAGBRAI journey; where will the adventure take you next?! Today we travel to Gitega Province, to explore the importance of bicycles in more rural areas of Burundi.

On today’s exciting adventure on the Road to RAGBRAI, we bring you The Man, The Myth, The Legend: The Doug Novak.

Today we take you to Bujumbura City, to see what role bicycles play in daily life in Burundi’s capital. But first, we invite you to enter a world of imagination. Take a moment to picture in your mind the quintessential New York scene…Okay, fine.

If you’re anything like me (or the majority of sane humans), you spent last weekend inside, AC turned up, avoiding the summer sun.

Drumroll please! Today we caught up with The One, The Only, The Very Heartbeat of BFI itself, Mr. Fabrice Bizimana!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Today we take you to Burundi, to give you the inside scoop on what bicycling looks like, and what its used for, in the country. And we can almost guarantee you’ll learn something new!

Wondering why 6 of BFI’s very own would choose to ride over 400 miles in the sweltering heat and humidity of the heartland of the US?! Then look no further!

CYCLING ACROSS IOWA

BFI is excited to announce our official Blog Page for our First Annual RAGBRAI Cycling4Burundi Team!

One of our Burundian WONDER WOMEN working with BFI is Odette. She along with Michella, Esperance and Estella are very active in our Women’s Empowerment Clubs.

I grew up in a society where I was humiliated

I grew up being discriminated

No one sees my value

I grew up in a society where I have no right to

education, job or speech,

A woman is a human being

We are dreaming, leading, and believing.

Our lives are like a journey, we jump loops, like we’re in a hurry

From Executive Director Julie Marner

We invite all BFI supporters to “BFI Shop For a Cause!”

As a volunteer with BFI in Burundi in 2014, I met a young woman who would become a dear friend.

BFI made new friends and gained supporters of all ages on a recent East Coast Tour by Executive Director, Julie Marner, and BFI English Club President, Fabrice Bizimana.  Julie and Fabrice were graciously hosted by BFI supporter, Dr.

Freshly roasted Burundi coffee is available throughout the holiday season, but quantities are limited. Great gift idea, or a way to make any holiday gathering more special.

From Executive Director, Julie Marner

BFI and FUCOS Complete “Davis Project for Peace”

The “Davis Proj

The BFI Board and several volunteers met over the weekend of September 16-18 in San Diego to discuss and implement a 3 year plan and begin discussions for BFI’s 10 Year Anniversary in 2017.

BFI is back in the goat business — $12,287 worth of goats!

Freshly Roasted Gourmet Coffee!

Three years ago, 19-year-old Landry Ndayikeje joined a BFI English Club in Bujumbura. His intense desire to learn and sharp mind helped him to advance quickly.

I don’t arrive to sleep,
when I remember that thousands and thousands of people don’t have food to eat.
I don’t arrive to sleep,

In 2015, your generosity helped BFI to fill a giant shipping container with English books and computers to support education in Burundi. But civil unrest in Burundi put the next steps on hold. Happily, we were able to ship in early 2016.

A note from Alexis Nizigiyimana, Burundi, July 14, 2016:

10,000+ Items Promote Healthcare in Burundi

BFI is thrilled to announce the

Great things grow from small seeds.

If you know anything about BFI Executive Director Julie Marner, you know that she lives, breathes, eats, sleeps, and embodies everything Burundi.

You cannot help but be inspired by Léonard Ngendakumana. This man of vision and compassion dedicates his life to improving the lives of his fellow Burundians.

It starts with a dream. Amani Esperance is a young Burundian woman with big dreams. “I come from a poor family but I got a chance of going to school with all the love and support of my parents, though life is hard.