Build a House
Homelessness
Thousands of widows in Burundi are homeless. The attacks that killed their husbands often resulted in irreparable damage to their homes. Other widows lost possession of their homes when they fled the country as war refugees, and squatters or other family members took possession of their home and land. Because widows are societal outcasts, they have no advocate to fight for their rights. A new home indicates to her community that a widow has an advocate, she is no longer alone; she has worth. Sister Connection homes are miracles in some of these communities. One pastor commented, “When Anezie’s house is built, the whole community will believe in Jesus!” Because only Jesus could accomplish something as amazing as an unwanted widow getting a brand new home!
Patronizing the Local Economy
Home building is planned and executed under the direction of our National Director, Joy Buconyori. Materials are purchased and labor is solicited locally. Engaging local people for these projects is not only more cost effective than sending builders from abroad, but it creates a sense of ownership and pride in the local community. We also understand the importance of patronizing the local economy.
Criteria and Details
A Sister Connection home is contemporary with a tile or metal roof, wooden doors and windows. The total cost for building a home is $600.
For your gift of $600, you’ll receive:
- A certificate of appreciation, complete with a personal profile and photo of the widow and her children in front of their new home!
- A receipt for your tax deductible donation
- Blessings from God!
Ask, Don’t Tell
Our home building initiative is a prime example of our “ask, don’t tell” ministry strategy. In the original profiling of widows, home status was not specifically recorded. However, an occasional profile would indicate that a widow’s housing situation was problematic or that it had been mentioned as a prayer request. Sponsors began to pick up on this, and their questions led us to make inquiries about the extent of the housing problem among widows. The plight of homelessness among many widows became clear, and the solution proposed by Sister Connection staff in Burundi was surprisingly simple: “we can have a new home built for $500 (now $600).”
Sponsors still ask us “Can a home really be built for $600?” Yes! Not only does it build a new home, it restores dignity for widows and gives tremendous amounts of hope.
