Burundi
A new chapter opens for children living with hearing impairments in Burundi. The Congregation of Sisters known as «Family of the Disciples of Christ», FDC, is preparing to open a school with boarding facilities for deaf children in the capital of Rutana commune, Burunga province. Named «Mother of Hope» School for the Deaf of Rutana (ESMMER), this new educational work will welcome its first pupils during the 2026-2027 school year.
This initiative provides a concrete response to the educational needs of deaf children, who often face numerous difficulties in accessing adequate training. It is also part of the educational and evangelising mission of the Congregation, which seeks to promote the dignity of every person and ensure that no one is left behind.
An initiative at the service of every child’s dignity
For the Sisters Disciples of Christ, every child has the right to education, guidance, and an environment that allows them to fully develop their abilities.
It is in this spirit that the Congregation chose to extend its educational apostolate to children living with hearing loss. Alongside the school it has already established for hearing children, it is now opening a structure specifically adapted for deaf children.
Teaching will place sign language at the center, an essential tool enabling pupils to communicate, learn, and take part fully in school life.
This work fits into the vision of the Family of the Disciples of Christ: contributing, through education, to the integral promotion of the human person and to building a society where everyone finds their place.
A boarding school meeting a real need
One of the main strengths of the new school is the presence of boarding facilities. This will allow the reception of children coming from various regions across the country, especially from Rutana, Bujumbura, Rumonge, Makamba, Ruyigi, and Gitega.
Before entering the first year of basic education, pupils will benefit from sign language instruction to acquire the necessary foundations for their schooling.
Early enrolments already demonstrate the interest sparked by this initiative. Boys represent 64.7% of enrolled students, while girls account for 35.3% of the total.
These figures also underline the importance of continuing efforts to ensure equitable access to education for deaf girls.
«We need suitable schools»
Behind the opening of this school lie the experiences of many deaf people who had to overcome multiple barriers to access education.
Nshimirimana Marie, who managed to pursue university studies and currently works at a bank in Bujumbura, testifies to the challenges she faced during her schooling.
She explains that, in the absence of an interpreter, she often had to lip-read the teacher or try to grasp explanations from what was written on the blackboard. She also tried to teach sign language to classmates sitting near her so they could later explain the lessons she had missed.
For her, these difficulties extend beyond school. They also concern access to healthcare, religious life, and public services.
She particularly deplores situations where deaf individuals cannot communicate properly with healthcare staff due to the absence of sign language interpreters.
Her testimony sheds light on an often invisible reality: the lack of adequate communication can become a serious barrier to the exercise of fundamental rights.
Education begins within the family
Nshimirimana Marie also emphasizes the vital role of parents. When parents do not know sign language, they face difficulties communicating with their child and imparting, from an early age, the guidance and values necessary for their development.
She recalls that deaf children share the same emotional and human needs as other children: they feel joy and pain, they love, dream, have worries, and long to express their feelings and needs themselves.
For this reason, she urges the reinforcement of initiatives enabling deaf children to learn and communicate in their own language.
«Deaf children must be sent to school from an early age»
Niyomukiza Francine, from Musongati, was fortunate to begin her education in a school that uses sign language in Mushasha, Gitega.
Her journey allowed her to understand the importance of tailored education. Yet when she moved to secondary institutions attended mostly by hearing students, difficulties returned.
She recounts having sometimes been punished alongside other pupils without understanding why, because classmates did not know sign language and could not explain what had happened.
Her experience leads her to appeal to parents: deaf children must be sent to school from an early age and receive appropriate support, rather than being kept at home and restricted to domestic chores, farming, or tending livestock.
A great hope for families
For parents of deaf children, the opening of «Mother of Hope» School represents a true beacon of hope.
Akimana Beni, a resident of Ngozi commune in Butanyerera province, welcomes this initiative warmly. In his view, the school offers parents a place where their children can be received, educated, and supported.
Nevertheless, needs remain substantial. Specialized institutions for deaf children remain scarce in Burundi, and their reception capacities are limited. Many children stay outside the school system or begin their education very late.
The creation of this new school is therefore a significant answer, while reminding us of the urgent need to expand initiatives supporting inclusive and specialized education.
A mission continuing in hope
Through «Mother of Hope» School, the Sisters Disciples of Christ give tangible expression to their dedication to vulnerable children.
This educational endeavor is not limited to imparting knowledge. It seeks to help raise children capable of living with dignity, developing their gifts, taking part in society, and building their future.
For the Family of the Disciples of Christ, this project bears witness to the fruitful nature of a mission that places the human person at the heart of educational and pastoral care.
In Rutana, a school opens its doors with a simple yet profound conviction: no child should be deprived of their right to education because of a disability.
And for the deaf children who will soon walk through the doors of «Mother of Hope» School, it is above all a new promise: the promise to learn, communicate, grow, and hope.
Photo by Sister Gaudence Nininahazwe
