Fondation Chirezi
Encyclopedia
Fondation Chirezi is a local non-governmental organisation established in the African Great Lakes
Region by Floribert Kazingufu Kasirusiru (Flory Zozo). The core objective of FOCHI is to build a campaign for a non-killing society in the Great Lakes Region - eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC) which has suffered both the Second Congo War
and terrible waves of genocide
in both Rwanda
and Burundi
.
FOCHI is a local non-governmental initiative and has so far conducted seminars of ministers of religion and teachers, to create awareness and shift entrenched attitudes. FOCHI, with priority concern for women and children, is building local projects. The first is Farm of Hope School
for orphans and children of single parent families at Kiliba
, DRC, a border crossing town on the Ruzizi River
, near the Burundi
capital of Bujumbura
. FOCHI's second project is a Women's Trauma and Care Centre in Bukavu
, the capital of Sud-Kivu
Province in the DRC, managed by Women Against Violence. The situation of women in and around Bukavu has become perilous in the period of the Second Congo War
and its aftermath.
In July 2007 three communities working under the FOCHI umbrella - Kiliba Farm of Hope School
, the Bukavu Women's Trauma and Care Centre, and Nyangezi (seeking community radio for youth) formed a Self-Empowering Network (SEN) to define their approach to development and mutual help.
Chirezi is the Mashi word for care giver.
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
Region by Floribert Kazingufu Kasirusiru (Flory Zozo). The core objective of FOCHI is to build a campaign for a non-killing society in the Great Lakes Region - eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC) which has suffered both the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
and terrible waves of genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
in both Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
.
"Since the early 1990s the African Great Lakes region – defined here as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania – has been convulsed by genocide, civil wars, inter-state conflict and flawed democratic transitions. With UN-sponsored peace processes underway in DRC and Burundi and projects of state and societal reconstruction apparently advancing in Rwanda and Uganda, there are hopes that the epoch of violence and exploitation in the African Great Lakes region is finally drawing to an end."http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2006/rp06-051.pdf
FOCHI is a local non-governmental initiative and has so far conducted seminars of ministers of religion and teachers, to create awareness and shift entrenched attitudes. FOCHI, with priority concern for women and children, is building local projects. The first is Farm of Hope School
Farm of Hope School
The was established by Fondation Chirezi at the Kiliba village, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a border crossing to Burundi in 2005. The strategic plan adopted by the management committee in 2007 has as its vision to extend the school from primary to secondary to trade school and university as...
for orphans and children of single parent families at Kiliba
Kiliba
Kiliba is a town on the Congolese side of a border crossing between Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is about 17 km from the Burundi capital Bujumbura and 25 km from Uvira in South Kivu Province of the DRC....
, DRC, a border crossing town on the Ruzizi River
Ruzizi River
The Ruzizi , is a river which flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, descending rapidly from about 1,500 metres above sea level to about 770 metres above sea level over its length...
, near the Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
capital of Bujumbura
Bujumbura
-Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...
. FOCHI's second project is a Women's Trauma and Care Centre in Bukavu
Bukavu
Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , lying at the extreme south-eastern extent of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the Sud-Kivu province and as of 2009 it had an estimated population of...
, the capital of Sud-Kivu
Sud-Kivu
Sud-Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
Province in the DRC, managed by Women Against Violence. The situation of women in and around Bukavu has become perilous in the period of the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
and its aftermath.
In July 2007 three communities working under the FOCHI umbrella - Kiliba Farm of Hope School
Farm of Hope School
The was established by Fondation Chirezi at the Kiliba village, Democratic Republic of the Congo, a border crossing to Burundi in 2005. The strategic plan adopted by the management committee in 2007 has as its vision to extend the school from primary to secondary to trade school and university as...
, the Bukavu Women's Trauma and Care Centre, and Nyangezi (seeking community radio for youth) formed a Self-Empowering Network (SEN) to define their approach to development and mutual help.
Chirezi is the Mashi word for care giver.