Burundi Eco – The earlier talent is discovered, the more profitable it is

Burundi still has a long way to go in developing the talents of young people. The inadequacy of centers dedicated to talent development and the low involvement of parents, among other things, are major obstacles. Actors in this field suggest a more active participation by public authorities.

Supervising children during the holidays at the Betsal’el leisure center had the general objective of awakening the potential talents in them.

“Initiatives aimed at identifying and promoting the talents of young people remain lacking in Burundi,” notes Jean Daniel Mugisha, head of the Betsal’el leisure centre. And this despite the various activities that are organized here and there, especially during the summer holidays, to stimulate and awaken young Burundian talents. These activities, organized mainly by private associations, have shown their effectiveness, although they are limited, according to experts in the field.

“The overall objective of supervising children during the holidays at Betsal’el leisure center was to awaken the hidden potential in them. Sometimes, this potential is not known to young people and their parents. It is only when the child is given the opportunity to try something that he can discover that his talent is really his,” says Mugisha. He emphasizes that it is important for children to discover their talents early, because “knowing your talent early allows you to take advantage of it quickly, which brings results to fruition sooner,” he adds.

After the sessions organized by this centre, the young people and their parents were surprised to discover that they had potential that could help them live, but that they did not know about. “This shows that these potentials are dormant and must be awakened, otherwise the wearer would never have been aware of them,” confirmed Mugisha.

There is an insufficiency of centres, an obstacle

Danny Bindariye, the director of the Art in Life center in Rumonge, has no doubt that there are many young people whose talents will be of no use to them, not because they do not have any, but simply because they were not given the opportunity. to discover and develop them.

Bindariye regrets that centers that offer such opportunities to young people are few and often not very effective, because their initiatives often lack support from administrative authorities. It suggests greater involvement by public authorities in this area. Jean Daniel Mugisha shares this view. He deplores the fact that the few functional youth centers are private enterprises, often under-equipped, which limits their impact. “Buildings alone are not enough for such a centre. Qualified instructors, suitable equipment, materials, etc. are required. »

Mugisha also points out that even the few existing centers and other opportunities often only benefit young people living in urban centres. He offers more funding for this sector, because according to him, after all, talent that is found and appreciated is not only beneficial for its carrier, but for society as a whole.

Unknown and undervalued sector

Based on his experience, Bindariye says the major challenge the Art in Life center has faced is the lack of parental involvement, sometimes due to ignorance. This also affected the activities organized by the Betsal’el leisure centre. The manager of this center told us that only about twenty out of about fifty children expected for the sessions they had organized were able to participate. It calls on parents to facilitate their children’s access to these unique opportunities.

“A child can show his passion for drawing, but be held back by his parents who fear that his talent will prevent him from attending classes well at school. It takes us a lot of time to explain to them that this talent, on the contrary, can be the key to their children’s success,” explains Bindariye. While waiting for an abundance of public centers, Bindariye calls on other artists, wherever they are, to move to help the young people around them to find and take advantage of their talents.