Chrissie Chapman Burundi, Central Africa
Chrissie leads the work of CRIB (Children Rescued in Burundi), in Bujumbura. It was set up in the 90’s to care for children who had suffered unimaginable hardship because of the genocide that took place then.
Today there are more than fifty children in the CRIB work, and they go to The King’s School, a Christian school where they are educated in English, along with other children from the city.
In the summer of 2009 a team of young people from Living Waters Church went out to Burundi to lead a 5-day holiday club called Time Twisters for them and children of staff who care for them. The focus of the club was to understand God’s plan for each person, and they spent time praying for the children that God would use them to impact the future of their country. The team were amazed to see how content and happy the children were with their lives, how they never stopped laughing, and the huge dreams they have for their futures.
Chrissie has three children, Lydia, Hannah and Ben, who she adopted following the genocide.
Chrissie’s latest newsletter
Dear Friends,
When I last wrote just before Christmas we were in the process of trying to get a contract to rent some buildings and a lot of land up in the countryside to begin some new projects with fish and agriculture. Sadly that all fell through but we are still looking for suitable land where we can begin to grow some of our own crops and we have gone ahead and built two houses for chickens - expecting the first delivery of 250 chicks any day!
This is quite a tense time in the country as we have elections planned for the 28th June. There is a lot of fear and there are many rumours flying around about what might happen, but I am at peace and am very happy that I am staying here this summer to be with, and support, all the other friends and team here. We plan to have a great summer!
It has been great having David and Sheena Pailthorpe with us this year. They are from my home church in Sutton and originally came to join us for three months to help out, especially with some challenges with some of our teenagers, but have extended their stay up to the summer. They will then go back to the UK for a break but plan to return in September for another year which is good.
The school continues to go very well; all classes are full to overflowing. We will have over twenty of our Children from CRIB in secondary school in September. Homework challenges are about to take on a whole different turn!
We do still need some gap year students (or non gap year students!) to come and help out in the school as classroom assistants and to help our kids with homework in the afternoons. So, if anyone is looking for a fulfilling few months please let me know.
As we begin the new school year again this September, we are really trying to work out how we can begin A level courses here so that our Children will not have to leave Burundi so soon. We are also in great need of starting a trade centre in the very near future for those who are not so academic and who will not go on to take A levels. We do have a piece of land and will be looking at how we can start to build both a new secondary school and a trade school. So, lots of thoughts for new projects for next year!
Well, here we are already in June and only weeks away from the end of the school year. Usually at this time we are packing to leave for a break in the summer months but this year, for the first time in many years, we are staying here in Burundi for the whole summer.
I am actually really looking forward to being in Burundi this summer and Ben and I managed to get a break at Easter just before Ben started his IGCSE's. Lydia is still working in a salon in Taunton and will be coming home to visit us for two weeks in July. Hannah is just about to complete her first year in school in Canada and will be coming home for the whole of the summer which is wonderful. She has done well to survive the freezing weather of winter in Winnipeg and is looking forward to a bit of heat here in Burundi this summer. She loves school and has made many new friends. Ben is about to finish his exams and leaves school in four weeks time. We are still waiting to hear about options for further education for Ben but at this time have nothing confirmed for September.
Life here in Burundi continues to be busy but things are going very well. It is exciting to see doors opening and opportunities becoming available for some of the older children. Murungwa, our oldest boy, has been in Uganda for two years doing his A levels and has done well, passing with good grades. He is now applying for a place in university in Uganda but has just been offered a gap year place in the UK for a bible study course which he is very interested to look at.
Moise has just done his IGCSE's and has been accepted to go to the King’s School in Winnipeg for two years - the same school that Hannah is attending. He is just ecstatic! We now have to go through the long and not so easy process of trying to get him a study visa. Please pray that he gets favour and that we get the visa in time for him to fly to Canada with Hannah when she returns at the end of August in time for the beginning of the new school year.
Well, thank you so much for your continued love and support.
Have a great summer.
Chrissie and family.
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