By Bishop Martin Nyaboho, Makamba, Burundi (December 2013)- After a recent outreach one young girl shared her story with us, and we were able to help her. “My names are (withheld). I am a student at Kigamba secondary School. I grow up in my sister’s house and her husband always asks me to commit sexual intercourse with him. He tries to tell me that I live in his house and it is because of him that I get food, clothes, fuel to study because there is no electricity and school fees, and that by sleeping with him that I am repaying all his effort.
I thank the UCE team that encouraged to me to never commit adultery with the husband of my sister and to never have such unfaithfulness. As they have advised me, I will tell my situation to my grandmother, follow up with the UCE team, and we will find together a way to protect my virginity and the couple.”
Kigamba high School is located at about 45km from Makamba urban city. It is in a very rural area with a narrow and stony road. Interestingly, the principal himself is a single young man. We opened the teachings with a word of prayer after which we separated the students into groups according to their genders. During group time, they were free to express themselves and we discovered that they don’t know much about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
After we had delivered the UCE message, the students confessed that they have never heard such message in their village, people are dying with HIV/AIDS and young girls are being impregnated. After the outreach, with a lot of pleasure, the students decided to sing songs for us to express their joy with the message we brought. 353 youth jumped into a better way of living and committed themselves to abstinence and Christ.
Kibago High School has more than 400 students. When the principal welcomed us, he told us that 10 ladies had left the school because of pregnancies. The team decided to begin with debate on the subject. The students debated in 4 groups (two of girls and two others for boys). The debate was centered on the reasons why students are getting involved in adultery. The principal mobilized all the teachers present to join the groups. After the session all the principal could say is, “This is the message we really need at my school.” 400 students signed commitment cards on that day.
Gikurazo is a Pentecostal High School. The principal and the teachers appreciated the UCE message of abstinence. The principal said, “Here in our school, many NGO’s participated to educate our students but we have never heard such a message which comes as a solution for HIV/AIDS and others sexually transmitted diseases problems. It is only the UCE message that is adequate to educate our young students. Before I started to fear your outreach but now I’m reassured that our youth, especially girls, will be protected from HIV/AIDS at a higher level. I would advise my students to attend UCE clubs because they will find solutions to their problems.” 615 students committed themselves to abstain and to the protection of a higher power.
UCE teams save hundreds of lives each month. Every day people are brought to Christ, and find joy in the freedom that His plan for our lives offers. A generous donor sponsored these three outreaches, but we need help to reach more schools in the coming year! It costs $250 to reach one school. At each school lives are transformed by the saving Grace of Christ. UCE outreaches bring a message of hope, and of a better future. Youth are supported by UCE clubs formed at their schools. Please consider sponsoring one school in 2014, and impacting lives!
Students display their commitment cards 
Students sing and cheer at the conclusion of an outreach in Burundi, 2013