From May 20 to 22, 2025, the medica mondiale Burundi team kicked off the pre-incubation training for the second group of women entrepreneurs, as part of the project "Women Standing – Umukenyezi wagaciro". This project, supported by Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World), aims to boost the economic empowerment of Burundian women through tailored support.
The training took place simultaneously in Bujumbura Mairie and in the province of Kayanza. In total, 28 women selected for their potential and commitment joined this new cohort. Their projects cover a range of dynamic sectors: crafts, sewing, basketry, trade, fashion, services, and much more.
The "Women Standing" project is based on two key pillars:
- The deconstruction of gender stereotypes through community awareness;
- Individualized support that combines practical training, integration into professional networks, and financial assistance.
Madame Claudine AHISHAKIYE, Director of Women's Empowerment at the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights, and Gender, opened the session in Bujumbura by stating: "When a woman develops an income-generating activity, her entire community moves forward with her."
She reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to supporting women's entrepreneurship through strengthened public policies and sustainable partnerships.
For Maria Massaro, Regional Representative of medica mondiale, this pre-incubation phase is just the beginning: “During the next six months, these women will benefit from theoretical and practical support to turn their ideas into solid entrepreneurial realities.”
Active in Burundi since 2015, medica mondiale works in synergy with local women's organizations to promote women's rights in all their dimensions: economic, social, political, and psychological. The project “Women Standing” embodies this ambitious vision of change driven by women, for women.