However, in Burundi, the story is different.
I was blessed last week to have attended our second Youth Work as Worship conference in Burundi, attended by 400 youth. We are halfway through a five-year study to assess the impact of workplace discipleship on young adults aged 18-35 in four different cities and twelve different churches. Last year, after 1.5 years of teaching and training on entrepreneurship, we were already hearing exciting testimonies. But this year's testimonies topped those.I couldn't capture all the testimonies, but the first three young adults shared a similar theme: how they used the equivalent of $6.71 to get their businesses started. This was the amount of money that each youth was given at last year's conference to help them get from their homes to the bus pick-up point, and to cover their food for their travel.
The first woman, Janet, shared that before starting with DML, she believed students couldn't earn money - they just had to study. But after the training, she learned differently. She had been taught to differentiate between her needs, wants, and desires, and began to save some money (about $11) when she was given the $6.71 travel funds. While her peers were buying food and getting transport to their homes, she decided to keep that money and add it to her savings. Now she had almost $17. With that money, she bought a piglet. She raised it and sold it for $117. She purchased another piglet for $34 and diversified her business by investing in a rooster and a chicken. Those two produced seven chicks, and in a few days, there should be six more.Janice tells a similar story. She had been doing business but was taking loan after loan and not moving forward. At last year's Youth Work as Worship conference, she was awarded a prize for "Best Business Idea" and received an award of $17. Then she received the transport funds of $6.71, and now she had $23.51. With that, she purchased flour, sugar, and charcoal in bulk and began selling them retail. Eventually, she too bought a piglet, and that pig is now full-grown and about to give birth to piglets. She no longer takes loans, saves regularly to invest in her business, and is thrilled to see that the culture is changing, allowing women to do business.
Lastly, Jessalyn used her transportation funds to buy bananas. She turned that $6.71 into $67. She bought a goat for $60, and it turned out to be pregnant. She continued to sell and save and then purchased another goat, who also turned out to be pregnant! So she soon she will have four goats. She also has purchased a chicken and hopes to start enjoying eggs soon. She is no longer dependent on her parents.
These are just a few of the results of teaching over 2.5 years. A successful Burundian businessman who started with nothing told them that they all have capital - their mind, their hands, their feet, and their health.