Our History
We began in 2004 when an American woman, Denise Vibbert Patch, felt compelled to help Burundian war widows and their children. She contacted a longtime Burundian family friend, Joy Buconyori, and the two formulated a framework for an organization that connects people from around the world with a Burundian “sister” through sponsorship.
Denise Patch spent several years of her childhood in Burundi with her missionary family. When she left that country at the age of 15 to return to the United States, she was forever changed by her love for the Burundian people and the lifestyle of compassion by which her family lived. In 1993, eleven years later, Burundi erupted in ethnic conflict that eventually wiped out hundreds of thousands of people, mostly men. Many of them were husbands and fathers of families Denise knew personally. The civil strife lasted for more than a decade, but by 2004 political stabilization and peace were hovering on the horizon. It was finally possible to safely begin helping the victims of war.
Joy Buconyori has true empathy for her widowed countrywomen in Burundi. In the ethnic violence of 1972, Joy’s childhood was shattered by the country-wide massacres that eventually struck her own village. All five of Joy’s older brothers were killed. In 2004, when Denise contacted Joy about a way to help Burundian widows and orphans, it was a God-ordained match. Joy had already been carrying a great burden for the plight of the widows and orphans of her country. As the wife of a prominent bishop, and the former director of a child sponsorship program, Joy has influence and the experience needed as the National Director of Sister Connection.
Both women were convinced that doing nothing was simply not an option. Merging their spheres of influence, Joy began profiling widows for sponsorship and Denise began sharing the opportunity with the women of her church. By December 2004, dozens of widows had been connected to sponsors and Sister Connection was firmly established as an organization.
Through the efforts of many, Sister Connection continues to grow. Foundational supporters of Sister Connection make it possible for 100% of sponsorships to go directly to the widowed family. Every new sponsorship changes the lives of a Burundian widow and her family. Children are being fed and educated and widows are finding their status raised in their communities. And with Burundians determined to maintain peace in their once war-ravaged country, this is precisely the right time to assist those who have experienced so much devastation in their lives. Sister Connection provides healing from the past, dignity for today, and hope for the future!
As funding permits, we are launching new initiatives that are designed to increase our sisters’ self-sufficiency and independence. Sister Connection is about making a difference… one sponsor, one family at a time.
