Blog

What began as a small act of saving together has grown into a story of hope and transformation for a family in Burundi.

Suavis and her husband Bosco are parents to nine children, ranging in age from 3 to 25! Like many families, life was once a daily struggle. Managing money was difficult, opportunities felt limited, and providing consistently for their children’s education and healthcare was a constant worry.

Everything began to change when Suavis joined a community savings group called “Tugehamwe Twiyungunganye”, meaning “Let’s get together for progress.” Through the group, Suavis received training not only in savings and small business development, but also in financial management and nutrition.

Before joining the group, Suavis says she and Bosco had little understanding of how to manage the money they earned or how to build a future for their family. But through the community savings group training, they began making decisions together, learning how to save, invest and plan for the future.

In 2020, Suavis attended business training that inspired a new dream. She spoke with Bosco, and together they agreed to spend the year saving toward starting a small restaurant business. By 2021, Suavis had saved enough shares within the group to borrow 200,000 Burundi Francs, around €57. Bosco had also managed to save the same amount through small jobs he completed.

With determination and courage, they rented a tiny room in a busy area, bought basic cooking equipment and began their business with just 2kg of rice, 1kg of beans, some bread and a few simple ingredients.

The restaurant, affectionately and proudly named simply “Restaurant,  started small but quickly became something much bigger.

Today, Suavis and Bosco cook 80kg of rice and 2kg of meat every single day, serving more than 70 meals daily to people in their community. Each meal costs around 2,000 Burundi Francs, about 57 cent, making it affordable while still providing a sustainable income for the family.

Thanks to the business, the family’s life has been transformed. They can now pay school costs for their children, access healthcare when needed, and provide more nutritious meals at home. The trainings on nutrition, combined with their increased income, mean their children are healthier and better cared for than ever before.

But perhaps one of the most powerful changes has been the shift in confidence and opportunity for women like Suavis. She speaks proudly about how women in the group no longer feel they must wait for their husbands to provide for them. Instead, they are building businesses, contributing to household decisions and creating brighter futures for their families.

When the community savings group first began, members saved just 2,500 Burundi Francs each week, around 70 cent. As businesses grew and incomes improved, the group doubled their savings to 5,000 Francs weekly, a visible sign of the progress being made together.

Today, Suavis and Bosco are dreaming even bigger. Their hope is to expand their restaurant further and one day open a shop of their own.

Their story is a powerful reminder that when people are given the opportunity to learn, save and work together, even the smallest beginnings can grow into lasting change, not only for one family, but for an entire community.