Celebrating 10 Years of Empowering Women in Burundi
Nearly 600 women filled the sanctuary of Christian Life Missions in Burundi, creating a sea of vibrant colour, joyful singing and energetic dancing. The room was alive with celebration as voices rose together in worship. Laughter filled the air and women greeted one another with warm embraces.
Some had travelled for hours to be there. Young and old, they came from communities across the region, many arriving in matching dresses that represented the groups of five women they had journeyed alongside over the years. These small groups had encouraged one another through challenges and held each other accountable as they built businesses and worked toward brighter futures.
The women had gathered to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Wezesha Project—a milestone that celebrates ten years of women building businesses and discovering new possibilities for themselves and future generations.
Throughout the gathering, stories of perseverance, resilience and transformation were shared. Each testimony was met with heartfelt applause, celebrating not only individual success but the strength of a community that had walked the journey together.
It was a celebration more than a decade in the making.
A Decade of Growth
In Swahili, “wezesha” means to empower. For the past ten years, the Wezesha Project has been empowering women entrepreneurs in Burundi through microfinance, business training and ongoing mentorship.
Women who would otherwise have little or no access to traditional financial services join small borrower groups of five and receive modest loans to start or expand their businesses. Alongside this financial support, they participate in regular training on budgeting, saving, inventory management and business planning, equipping them with the skills to build thriving, sustainable enterprises.
As loans are repaid, larger amounts become available, allowing businesses to grow steadily over time while extending opportunities to even more women.
Wezesha is built on the belief that lifting up women, also lifts up families and communities.
Over the past decade, this partnership has helped more than 1,800 women build stronger businesses, provide for their families and invest in brighter futures.
Walking Together
The power of the Wezesha Project is found relationships: relationships between women, borrowers and field officers.
Field officers, like Celestin (pictured in blue shirt), spend their days visiting businesses, meeting borrower groups, listening to challenges, offering practical guidance and celebrating milestones alongside the women they serve.
Their role extends well beyond administering loans. They mentor, encourage and often pray with the women, creating an environment where financial growth is accompanied by personal confidence and spiritual support.
The result is a network of relationships that continues to strengthen communities long after the first loan is received.
Many field officers have walked with the same entrepreneurs for years, watching businesses grow from small roadside stands into thriving market stalls and witnessing families gain greater stability and opportunity.
Celestin has been with Wezesha since the beginning. “I have truly seen women’s lives transformed,” he says. “It takes time, but now some of them are living in good homes and able to send their children to school.”
Gloriause’s Story
Gloriause* is one of the thousands of women who have participated in Wezesha Project.
She once sold fruit from a single basket, carrying only what she could manage each day. She could only buy small supply of fruit from a wholesaler and had to try to sell it before it went bad. She only ever kept a small amount of cash with her and was often afraid of getting robbed.
Her first Wezesha loan changed that trajectory.
With each loan and each training session, Gloriause learned how to manage her finances better and put savings away. She expanded her inventory and learned how to welcome more customers. Now she has a permanent market stall where she can sell a greater variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and reach more customers.
Today, her business provides greater stability for her family and she is able to send her children to school consistently.
The women of Wezesha are given the freedom to grow their businesses based on what they think will work best. Many sell a wide variety of items including shoes, clothing, cosmetics, produce, food and beverages.
*Name changed for confidentiality.
As music filled the church and women danced together, the significance of the moment became clear.
This was more than an anniversary.
It was the celebration of thousands of women who now how more opportunity and choice. It was the celebration of businesses that now provide steady incomes, children who are able to attend school and communities that have been strengthened through years of faithful partnership.
For ten years, the Wezesha Project has demonstrated that meaningful change does not always begin with large investments or dramatic moments.
Change can begin with a small loan, a trusted mentor, a supportive community and a woman who is given the opportunity to discover what she is capable of achieving.
To learn more about the Wezesha Project and hear stories of how its empowering women and strengthening communities in Burundi, visit our project page.
