Organizational Structure and Interactions
Muranderera Association, in discharging its mission of caring for HIV/AIDS orphaned children and other vulnerable ones, operates within the framework of Burundi civil society. It is a not–for-profit organization registered in Burundi under Ministerial Order # 530/225 of February 18, 2003. Muranderera is also registered in the USA as a tax-exempt public charity recognized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
To fulfill its mission as defined, to ensure coordination and follow up action on the ground, and to mobilize the resources needed, the Muranderera Association has created three main committees. Before doing so, the Association sought and secured the support and cooperation of the Bikanka community and its local administration, from the various administrative Villages, the Bikanka Zone and the Mukike Commune. In other words, the Association enjoys great working relations with its partners and interlocutors on the ground.
The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee (EC) ensures that the activities of the Association are implemented in a coordinated manner. It is composed of six unpaid volunteer members.
The President, Mr. Audace Buderi, a founding member and the Legal Representative, has a degree in Psychology/Education. He is currently a HIV/AIDS program consultant with the UNESCO Office in Burundi. He brings to the Association a wealth of experience from previously held positions in the public and private sectors: he has served six years as senior coordinator of the care for persons living with HIV and of the sensitization campaign within the National program against HIV/AIDS. Previously, Audace worked for two years as senior HIV/AIDS program coordinator for Action Aid Burundi, and then with UNICEF Burundi, as consultant on its preventive program of HIV transmission from mother to child. He has been working tirelessly for Muranderera Project and has already volunteered countless hours since its creation.
The Vice President, Mr. Patrice Nibigira, aka Mafasho, a founding member, has a degree in Economics. He is well known for his leadership qualities and brings to the Association a long experience in administration and management, having served as chief financial officer in three major national companies: SODIAC, a company handling the importation and distribution of construction materials; SBF, the first Burundian investment company; and most recently BPB, a locally- owned savings bank.
The Treasurer, Mr. Pontien Kadirigiza, a founding member, has a degree in Economics. He brings to the Association knowledge and skills acquired in both the public and private sectors, dealing with money matters and development project management: in CADEBU, a nationwide savings bank; in PREBU, a national rehabilitation program internationally financed with the European Union as its lead-agency; currently working with STABEX, a project also designed and financed by the European Union for the stabilization of commodity export earnings.
The Secretary, Mr. Ladislas Muyuku, a founding member, has a degree in Psychology/Education. He has taught in High Schools throughout the country and is currently working as senior Inspector in the Ministry of Education. Besides assuming the functions of Secretary of the Association, Ladislas participates in the sub-committee in charge of coaching pupils and is part of the technical team to support the teachers in Bikanka elementary school.
The Counselor, Professor Thaddee Barancira, a founding member, has a doctorate in Nuclear Physics from Belgium. He teaches Physics at the University of Burundi and at the Kigali Institute of Education in Rwanda. Thaddee is highly respected for his outstanding qualities, integrity and wisdom.
The Legal Representative in USA and Canada, Mr. Benoit Seburyamo, is the originator and co-founding member of Muranderera Association. He has a degree in Applied Economics from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He brings to the Association a wealth of experience from his previous professional life, having served five years in senior administrative and management positions in the banking industry, a twenty-five years career in the Foreign Service of Burundi, including four years as Burundi’s Ambassador to the United Nations, and a five-year experience on short-term United Nations Peacekeeping and Electoral observation missions in Africa. Benoit now lives in Albany, New York.
The Executive Committee has a two-year term, renewable. In discharging its coordination role, the EC consults with the Local Steering Committee, the community of Bikanka and the local authorities, as well as the Advisory Board to the Legal Representative in USA and Canada, with which the EC maintains close collaboration. The representation in USA and Canada leads the efforts to mobilize funds for Muranderera’s projects.
Reports on Muranderera’s activities are also communicated to the government through the appropriate ministerial departments and, through ‘PMLSO’, a cooperative project of both public and private sectors, to the Executive Secretary of the National Council against HIV/AIDS, which is in charge of the overall coordination of those activities related to caring for orphaned and other vulnerable children.
Lastly, it is worth mentioning that the Association has created four specialized commissions, whose leaders have the right to seat on the EC meetings and fully participate in its deliberations.
The Local Steering Committee
Because EC Members live and work in Bujumbura city, activities on the ground are conducted by members of the Local Steering Committee (LSC), whose primary role is to regularly visit the orphaned children and their sponsoring families both at home and at school. The local SC also supervises the implementation of Muranderera initiatives, informs the EC by telephone and written communications, and organizes visits by members of the EC.
The composition of the SC is, as follows:
The Director of the Municipal High School of Bikanka, Mr. Sinzinkayo Jean-Pierre, is the primary source of information on the orphan children’s progress and difficulties in school.
The head of Bikanka Zone, Mr. Claver Mahwane, deals with administrative issues that Muranderera Association may have with local authorities and leads the campaign to sensitize the Bikanka population on caring for the orphan children and on community development activities.
The head of Bikanka Health Care Center, Mr. Jean-Paul Barancira, has been selected by the local community to deal with health issues among the orphan children assisted by Muranderera Association.
Two elected members on the Municipal Council, Mr. Jean Gahungu, chief of personnel at a tea factory in Jenda, and Mr. Melchior Baranyitondeye, agricultural monitor, currently play a key-role within the Bikanka community in the collection of local materials, such as stones, gravel and sand, for the construction of the future elementary school in Ndayi village.
The Bikanka community also selected the incumbent six-grade teacher, Mr. Leonidas Barigono, to serve as a link to the Director of the Municipal High School mentioned above and to strengthen care for the orphan children. He frequently liaises with the Head of the Health Care Center on the children’s health condition and, whenever necessary, refers them to him with an authorized note for consultation and treatment without charge.
The Executive Committee and the Local Steering Committee meet at least once a month. In addition, any member of the EC who is visiting in the area of the Project will always make it his/her duty to consult with members of the LSC, so that they may review together the progress being made and any difficulties met in Muranderera Association’s activities.
The Advisory Board (Group of Friends)
The Advisory Board or Group of Friends is currently composed of nine members, including its Chairman and Legal Representative, who individually and collectively help him identify potential donors, make project presentations, and organize special fundraising events. The Board/Group is composed of men and women volunteers who not only themselves contribute to the Association’s projects, but also help to build support and confidence between Muranderera’s generous contributors on the one hand and the intended beneficiaries and partners on the other.
to the Legal Representative for the USA and Canada
Other important partners:
The Administration of Mukike Commune
The Administrator of Mukike Commune is a very active participant in the community development activities in general, and in the activities to care for the orphans in particular: he personally chairs all the public meetings to brief the community on the planning of activities and gets them involved; facilitates the contacts of the Association with other administrative and technical services; and he has always attended Muranderera’s school supplies distributions to the orphan children.The Bikanka Community
The Bikanka Community is, after the orphan children, the direct beneficiary of Muranderera Association’s actions. The Bikanka Community defines its priorities through general assembly meetings held in every administrative village of Bikanka, and passes them to the Executive Committee. Bikanka Community is the medium for every Muranderera Association’s action. It is the Bikanka Community, above all, which in the first place bears the heavy responsibility of caring for these HIV/AIDS orphaned children.
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Under section 501(c)(3) of the US IRS Code, MURANDERERA Association is a tax-exempt charitable organisation also registered with the State of New York Office of the Attorney General.
Muranderera has no paid staff and low administrative costs, which means that more than 90% of your donation directly benefits the children, the intended beneficiaries under the Muranderera programs.
