Burundi: Palm Oil and the Rebirth of Cyprien

Nsabimana Cyprien is almost sixty years old. He lives in Gasura, one of the sub-hills of the Rukanda hill, in Burundi. Since his leg was amputated, Cyprien uses two crutches to walk . No longer able to take care of the work in the fields himself, he had to employ workers. But with great difficulty: “Often, with the lack of money, I could not pay the men who took care of my fields”. Like many other families in his locality, Cyprien also grows oil palms. In fact, the production and sale of palm oil is a very widespread activity in his region. During the harvest season, the man has to travel long distances to transport the nuts from the collection sites to those where the machinery needed to produce the oil is located. For Cyprien, these are very tiring days: “I was too tired.” Continuing to work in these conditions was becoming impossible. But how could we guarantee a minimum survival? The solution came three years ago, when he discovered community microcredit. The REMA project (It can be done! Community Microcredit and Microfinance ) created by CASOBU together with AMU has changed Cyprien’s life.
La sua partecipazione al gruppo di risparmio e di credito “Dutegure Kazoza” (che significa “Prepariamo il futuro”) ha fornito a Cyprien la possibilità di pagare gli operai: “Mi sento sollevato”. Molto è cambiato da allora.
La sua attività ha fatto notevoli passi avanti.
È riuscito addirittura a installare il tradizionale macchinario per la produzione dell’olio da palma, così da non dover più spostarsi per chilometri e chilometri.
Non solo: Cyprien ora mette a disposizione dell’intera comunità questo macchinario, affittandolo a chi ne ha bisogno. In cambio non chiede soldi, ma olio di palma, che poi lui stesso rivende. Con quello che guadagna acquista noci di palma che poi a sua volta vende ai produttori di saponi. Cyprien is a man of many initiatives. Thanks to community microcredit, he has bought four goats . What do he need them for? To make the soil more fertile: “I didn’t have any pets before. I’m happy to collect manure to fertilize the fields.” With a smile, he adds: “My family’s income has improved!” And he has no intention of stopping. He wants to make other small investments. Generate other small economic activities. He wants to be an example for his community.