Buyé

Tuesday was a full day. We began with a meeting with Bishop Sixbert and a brief tour of the diocesan offices, where we were warmly greeted by several of the staff.

Next we moved on to an audience with the Deputy Governor of the Ngozi province. M. Dieudonné Kiboneye welcomed us in the absence of the governor, and spoke of the collaboration between the provincial government and the diocese of Buyé.

Then on to Buyé itself, where we first toured the hospital. One of the highlights of the tour was the opportunity to see a new HIV/AIDS clinic that is nearly complete. The Diocese of Buyé is building the clinic in partnership with the Diocese of Edmonton and the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.

The clinic will serve approximately 3000 patients, providing testing, pastoral counselling, treatment follow-up and other related services.

A visit to the Lycée de Buyé gave us the opportunity to meet some of the teaching staff and a couple of classes.

Finally, after a quick stop to meet some people with AIDS we went to Bishop Sixbert's home for a delicious lunch.

After lunch we visited All Saints' Cathedral in Buyé, and the theological college.

Our final stop for the day was in Mwumba parish. The welcome was incredible, with people singing, children crowding around curiously, drummers and dancing. We were introduced to the parish, and then a local literacy class gave a presentation which spoke of family violence and then demonstrated the structure of their classes. The group who made the presentation have all graduated from the literacy class and have been transformed into a microfinance /savings group. This programme, facilitated by the Diocese of Buyé, teaches the members how to save their money for future use, and makes use of some savings to grant loans for small businesses. One man spoke of how he had borrowed the equivalent of about US$40 and invested in a goat, which has since given birth to three more goats. Profit from his business has allowed him to improve the lives of his family. Similar stories were told be several men and women, describing how they are transforming their communities and improving their lives.

It was a very full day, with a lot to take in. It was a real privilege to see how the Diocese of Buyé is living out the Marks of Mission in so many ways.