Is one of the two suggestions that has come up so far. Here is the discussion to date:

Kofi Thompson, 24-02-2008

Jean-Claude, the recent history of Burundi and Rwanda, tragic though they may be, make them nations, of real interest, to many people, around the globe - and perhaps it would be worthwhile concentrating on leveraging that for a community-based eco-tourism venture - which combines the two nations in multi-destination CBE tour packages!

That could mean, for example, that a 12-day tour package to watch the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, could be packaged, with a three-day stint, of community-volun-tourism, in which the tourists take part in village volunteer work in Buterere, such as teaching English in the local primary schools; nursing in a local clinic; conservation work; learning to drum and dance, to traditional Buterere music; teaching internet skills to primary school children in Buterere; etc. etc..

This is another idea that has come up and sounds quite promissing:

Kofi Thompson 24-02-2008
Perhaps a well-produced and well-narrated mini-series of TV documentaries, which chronicles the everyday lives, of a selected few, of the inhabitants of Buterere: beginning with say a story about a day in the life of one of Buterere's most interesting female micro-entrepreneurs, posted on Buterere's own YouTube website, can generate worldwide interest, in Buterere's most valuable resource: the very interesting culture and authentic everyday life experiences, of an African village's inhabitants!

Raul Alberto Caceres 24-02-2008
I own a Sydney based production company that concentrates in media with a social focus. We have done some work in Africa in the past. I would be delighted to be able to shoot some stories that could help Buterete and more communities be features in other areas to find more to encourage more people with different objectives. If anyone can think of a sustainable way to do it, do not hesitate to let me know. If anyone wants to know more about the production company pop me a Private message (do not want this space to become an ad space )

Antje Ziegler 25-02-2008
I like the idea of the youtube video. It would give neighbours and donors (and possibly eco-travellers – as I said in another thread: I’m sceptical about them) much more of an idea about what they are contributing towards.
However, just right now I think it is too early. We’re just now trying to encourage the local volunteers to be more active and really getting the project to hum. And to get them equipped with basic necessities such as a room (seems they have to move out of the current one this Thursday – local team tries to negotiate – cross your fingers for them…) and one or two notebooks.
Raul, how would you go about shooting the story? Would it be possible e.g. that someone locally just takes a video camera (not now but say in a few months or half a year or even a year’s time) and speaks to the local volunteers and Buterere people and then sends you that material and you cut it into a nice film? Perhaps you could provide them with some hints as to what questions to ask. They would speak French of course – do you speak French? Could you cut French material and then translate the story into English – so there would be two language versions? Would that be a feasible way of doing it? And roughly how much would that cost?
Once I understand roughly how this could be done and how much it would cost, I’ll go and discuss it with Jean-Claude and he’ll discuss it with the local team. And then if they like the idea and as the project progresses and money comes flowing in we could do that.

Raul Alberto Caceres 24-02-2008
I do speak French too. I would be happy to edit a piece and give them advice on what to ask and how to approach it. If the material is not too long I can always find people to do it at no cost for the community if all we have to do is editing a short piece and adding the subtitles to it. It would still be hard to say what the quality would be since it will al depend on how it is shot and the quality of photography and other things but it is an interesting idea.
If in the near future I am back in Africa I can consider visiting Buterete too but there are no short terms to do it by now but will keep you updated.
One of the projects I am currently working on include the shooting of some volunteer traveling videos but it is still in a developing stage and will still try to find a customer for it before I can make it a reality. (if anyone has any contact there do not hesitate to contact me )
I will keep you updated but would definitely consider Buterete if this project goes ahead.

Due to rent debts, our local team has yesterday lost the room out of which they run all their services. They're looking for other options.

And I've just reminded them of Kofi's idea: "On the other hand, they could always do community-volunteer work - and use laterite mixed with a little cement, to make strong blocks, and put up a place, themselves: Burundi and Rwanda may be densely populated nations - but outside the inner city areas, there is always land available!"

The local government has already offered ASASS a plot of land they could have if they build on it.

They also have a building engineer and an electrical engineer in their volunteer team.

Moreover, there is state organized volunteering in Burundi every Saturday morning. And if we're lucky we could apply for those volunteers to help us...

I'm really curious what the local team thinks about this and whether this could be a viable option.

Best wishes
Antje

Dear neighour,

It is with pleasure to inform you that our local team met this last Sunday to share on the new ideas you suggested “ECO-TOURISM AND VIDEO”

The local team admired the suggestion you provided but need your input to achieve all these activities. They based on the current program to agree with your great ideas as they all go in the fields of education and that this year we need to develop skills through Self-Help-Group and try to empower local community using arts and Media’s courses and other strategies. As the local team doesn’t have any skills in Ecotourism and that we know this program is wide and that has dangers and problems we will need your great support to help us set up this activities.

Local team wish that VOLUNTEER Ecotourism for Help can begin with new programs in Buterere but we are afraid we are not yet raising funds for accommodation, trips tickets, allowances for volunteers,… and it requires great financial support. Our local question are: How these facilities should be arranged so that volunteers can reach to us to help running program in BCDC?, what the local team can do now to arrange this?, if you can help to provide us ideas on how to open an effective Eco-Tourism program for all volunteers wishing to visit Buterere.

Video: Raul’s suggestion is also a great idea, local groups are working on preparing the various fundraising and other events such as sports, medias courses, concerts and it would be great if we could save this in a CD as the Facilitator suggested, in Kofi’s ideas, TV mini documentary films sounds very good also, local people can produce this.

We would like to know further about Mr.Raul‘s Industry of production because now in the community we have two groups involved in Art and medias programmes: 1. Acting/Adrama, poem narrating (The Imagination of acting, Poetry and Storytelling living standards, voice and media..), it looks like as a team which will need to create SCENARIO community-based for Education program (screen education using both long and short film), with value “MADE IN AFRICA FOR BY AFRICANS FOR AFRACAN EDUCAITON. Unfortunately in Burundi there is no any Training industry or NGO in Arts and Medias, especially in Films production, nor in music or acting, did this group suggest that we can begin with these skills they have but they will need input from Raul’s Industry. I will be glad to confirm them if it will be possible.

2. There is an experienced group in SINGING, and they are preparing events, too we will need all your input to continue organise these activities to be sustainable for all people in the community.

About NATIONAL COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER Works, organised every Saturday by the National Government, local team is very happy to begin building by involving all people with NGO to come and help building our Centre. This is an excellent idea from our colleague and thank you

You can see our local activities
Thank you

local activities-1.doc

Hi Jean Claude,

And how do you think a training could be delivered?

Would online advise be enough or what are your ideas?

I am happy to provide advise online but I am not sure if that would be of benefit for this type area.

Let me know your thoughts,

Raul

Hello Antje, Jean-Claude, Raul and All Buterere neighbours,

Its jolly good to see the tremendous progress "Team Buterere" has made, thus far! Jean-Claude, I will be contacting some of the eco-tourism professionals in my network, and give you some feedback, soon - as regards the tour companies that might be willing to offer volunteer placement opportunities in Buterere, for their clients: so let us keep our fingers crossed on that front.

Antje, your idea of writing to the airline to ask them to airfreight the computers is really brilliant - I only thought about them in terms of getting their crew to adopt Buterere as their chosen crew charity project: and organise fund raising activities for the Village's projects. So again let us keep our fingers crossed on that front too!

Jean-Claude, there is nothing much to the CBE idea: look at it this way - you will only be inviting guests who are interested in your everyday lives, who would love to participate in local activities, such as: your child-naming ceremonies; marriages; funerals; coming-of-age ceremonies for boys and girls; learn to drum and to dance local traditional Burundi dances;etc. etc..

You are famous, as a people, for drumming: using those massive drums - and that is a truly memorable experience for any member of the human race to have, Jean-Claude. And who knows - you could even develop a small niche export market worldwide for them: selling them on the internet through your own website!

Some of the "volun-tourists" might also want to teach school children subjects like: computer science; English; science; mathematics; and perhaps help care for children in local orphanages; volunteer as doctors or nurses in the local clinic (working side by side with qualified local health personnel, naturally!).

We will discuss this further in detail, once we are able to find a tour company willing to include Buterere in their itineraries!

Raul, I am a great believer in making the most of the little one has: if no one in the village has a suitable video camera, surely camera phones make quiet good films these day? Aren't there competitions held for the best films shot with phone cameras, now?

Let us experiment with a phone camera - and see what results the "offline group" can come up with! We will surely succeed if we continue being as active as we now are - and, as Antje rightly says, we must constantly focus on the eventual outcome we are envisaging! Stay blessed, "Team Buterere!"

Warmest regards,

Kofi.

yes,

there are a lot of contest out there for short videos less than 1 minute.

Maybe they can start experimenting and seeing what can come from it.

Raul

Dear all,

Thank you for all these.

Raul:Yes, team have started to experience and we are all trying to help in any way possible.I will advise them to think practising on the shortest events.Your input will be valuable, (what great ideas to curry out, how to plan succeful and enjoyable presentation,..).

1. HOW I THINK TRAINING COURSE COULD BE DELIVED:
Because we are focusing on community project ownership,by inspiring local people to enjoy the project/mission, i think it would be better to offer course offline not online. But because that need many and advenced arrangement, and because we won't stop programmes, I think we can continue how we should offer the course and doing online guidances, and one day plan to give a course to all involved young people in the community. They can enjoy to see an experienced person teaching them.

2.Yes, Online advises are helpful too,and it is an excellent way which lead to the offline realisation/arrangement.

KOFI:Thank you for the nice post! Yes, let's wait for the feedback which will come from to the Ecotourists network and we will be glad to welcome volunteers in Buterere.

About the ideas to write to AIDLINES, added ideas from Cofi sound very nice too.

Recently I did some researches and Founf out that Burundi doesn't may be have Emabssy in Nigeria. Last day Antje contacted me telling that she is not yet hearing about the Computers. Do any one know how we can arrange how we can take the computers from the Charity which offered them to (May be the Health Ministry, youth Ministry,...) Or can we arrange that one neighbour based in nigeria can be charged with this?,

I have a contact of two contacts of persons in Nigeria (In youth Coalition on AIDS, an International Youth NGO I used to mentor in Burundi as a Natioanl Focal Point, The persons are continuing to be one a Regional Focal Point in the Central Africa, including Burundi, and an other is a National Focal Point in Nigeria if we contact them they can help us, what do you think?

Thank you for the clarification about CBE, it is a good option! YES WE WILL DISCUSS THIS further in detail, once we find a tour company willing to include Buterere in their itineraries!

UNFORTYNATLY: locally group and ASASS-BURUNDI don't have any digital camera, Video camera, nor phone camera, if one can find any company, donors, and any person who would like to support out new volunteer works in the community, we would be glad and send drafts, with reports and materials would help us to organise events, and do more about MINI-TV documentary films (shorts/long as well)

Yes, we have to be very active now, and focus on the focus on the eventual outcome we are envisaging!

Thank you for this advices. :-o

Hello Antje and Jean-Claude,

I have just got the contact details of a volunteer organisation - from the very kind and incredibly resourceful Mary Smith: whom I suggest we invite to join us. She posted it at Matopeni village.

Mary is one of the most resourceful and generous-spirited individuals at www.nabuur.com. She is a real boon for any village that has her on-board their village project - and as we are determined to succeed, I think it is imperative that we get her onside: so to speak.

She has more or less kick-started our quest for a volunteer organisation to partner BCDC, with the "Teach A Man To Fish" idea! And Antje, it just shows the incredible amount of valuable information available within the confines of www.nabuur.com itself, at the various village sites!

Another idea, is the hand-sewn sanitary pad idea Barb (another kind and resourceful person we should invite on board!!!) is currently running with, at Kabondo village, Kenya - surely, that could help our "offline" women folk at Buterere, too?

Jean-Claude, I have written a draft you can send to them, (after either you or any one else makes any changes or additions they deem fit!)- and we will keep our fingers crossed, in the meantime!!!Stay blessed, "Team Buterere!"

Warmest regards,

Kofi.

PS Draft follows below:

Dear Teach A Man To Fish,

Buterere Community Development Centre is currently working with neighbours (volunteers), at the online volunteer organisation, www.nabuur.com, to work on Buterere village projects together.

"Nabuur" is the old Dutch word for neighbour - chosen by the organisation's Dutch founder, Siegfried Woldeck, to symbolise the sense of community and good neighbourliness of a bygone age in Holland, when neighbours cared about each other - and which he seeks to rekindle in today's global village, online, at nabuur.com..

We are currently discussing a range of options, to ensure the sustainable development of Buterere village, Burundi. Amongst the ideas we have come up with, is the possibility of a partnership with a volunteer and internship placement organisation, such as yours: which will offer places for volunteers in various areas of possible interest to the volunteers, and which will be to the mutual benefit of both volunteers and the community - in win-win cross-cultural relationships.

We realise that you are not currently in Burundi - and appreciate the amount of work involved in establishing country offices for your organisation, in the developing world; but we would be very interested in working together with you, with the help of local authorities here in Burundi, to facilitate your setting up a country office, at some point in time, going forward.

If we have managed to ignite a spark of interest in you, and you therefore would like more information about us, please do not hesitate to contact us, through our local representative at nabuur.com, Jean-Claude Kamwenbusa and our online facilitator, Antje Ziegler. We look forward to a positive response from you soon.

Best wishes,

Jean-Claude Kamwenubusa.

PS Their email address: info@teachamantofish.org.uk

Thanks Jean Claude

I am happy to provide advise online in the meantime and to continue exploring if a visit in the future can be programmed.

Let me know of any question you might have.

I was thinking that a documentary about how the young people of Burundi want to use video to portrait their reality and dreams could be a good topic. I just do not know now how a project like that could be funded at this stage.

Raul

Hello Antje and Jean-Claude,

I have taken it upon myself, to find suitable volunteer placement organisations, to partner Buterere!

Please find below, a copy of an email, which I just sent off, a few minutes ago.

I have copied both of you - as well as the nabuur.com founder, Siegfried Woldeck. I trust you are all well - and happy with the progress Buterere is making, thus far? Stay blessed!

Warmest regards,

Kofi.

"Dear Robborg,

As you are currently in Ghana, let me start off, by wishing you a happy Independence Day anniversary. May our nation grow yet more prosperous and stable, in the coming years! My name is Kofi Thompson - I am a Ghanaian citizen by birth: and write and farm, as well.

I am in touch with a community-based youth organisation in Burundi, the Buterere Community Development Centre (BCDC), which is interested in partnerships with volunteer and internship placement organisations such as yours.

I know how difficult it is for relatively small organisations such as yours, to have a presence everywhere in the world, for practical reasons - but wonder if you would consider setting up a branch of Robborg in Burundi, if the opportunity arose: to offer placements for your volunteers and interns, interested in that part of the Great Lakes region of Africa?

The youth organisation I referred to would be delighted to partner you, if you would consider setting up there, at some point in time, going forward. It could serve as a move to East Africa. I volunteer online at: www.nabuur.com. It was founded by the Dutchman, Siegfried Woldeck, who, in today's global village, seeks, to rekindle the era of good neighbourliness, common in Holland, many years ago, which the old Dutch word, "nabuur" symbolises.

I am sure that Robborg, could also forge a mutually beneficial partnership, with www.nabuur.com (to offer online volunteering opportunities, for those concerned enough about their carbon footprint, that they would rather not fly, to volunteer in faraway places!), in addition to partnering the youth organisation from Burundi..

If I have ignited a spark of interest in you, and you would like to take this a step further, do not hesitate to contact either myself, or any of the people I have copied this email to. I look forward to a positive response from you soon!

Best wishes,

Kofi.

PS My telephone number: (027) 745 3109.
"

This might be useful: 54,000 organizations listed. www.idealist.org

Hello Ken,

If Kofi Thompson was an American like you, he'd probably describe your contribution as, "awesome".

However, as he is not, he'll choose the English equivalent, and say, you are absolutely "brilliant!"

Kudos to you! I do hope you are well, Ken. Stay blessed!

Warmest regards,

Kofi.

PS Are you in touch with my friend Peter - the chap who wants to set up the farming school, here?

Sorry computer playing up!

Hello Jean-Claude,

I do hope you are well - and happy (which really is a state of mind, not dependent on our external circumstances, at all, in my view!).

It is important, as you seek to develop your community along sustainable lines, that you involve the women of the community in all your activities. Thay must play a prominent role, in your community work, Jean-Claude.

In the war of the sexes, Kofi Thompson is firmly in the camp of the women - but there are practical reasons to do with funding, too, for having the local women on board, Jean-Claude: there is a great deal of funding, available, for grassroots projects, like yours, in the international community - but only, if they involve, and benefit, women!

You must also try and find some of the books written by Ghana's founding father, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. That visionary and pan-Africanist, worked had to instil a sense of self-belief in Africans, all over the continent. Without self-belief, nothimg much will be achieved in Africa.

It is this lack of self-belief in many Africans, which has turned our continent, into a superpower, in begging-bowl diplomacy. I have no time for that kind of African - and prefer those with the "can-do" attitude (which those Africans with self-belief, have in such abundance!).

I have included a previous posting of mine, which I posted on: 2008/2/27 8:01, at the Sri Lankan village of Dambadeniya, some time ago, for your perusal, Jean-Claude. It is a cautionary tale for you - and food for thought, for you and your colleagues! Stay blessed, dear young friend!

Warmest regards,

Kofi.

PS If you get a gmail account, we can also speak to each other, online, for free, computer-to-computer, Jean-Claude!

" Hello again, Sunil!

If you let me have your email address, I'll forward two articles to you. They will finally convince you, to contact the Sri Lankan fundamental tourism organisation I told you about, in a previous posting.

(The one I said worked in both Sinhalese and Tamil areas, helping local communities develop community-based eco-tourism projects!)
I am convinced that CBE will be very good for Dambadeniya, Sunil - and it will make a huge difference in the local economy too. It is an area I know a little about, Sunil - and I also firmly believe in using local expertise, when it is available, in all developing projects, Sunil.

I will give you the gist of a personal experience from a collaboration, with a greedy group from an EU nation [I will not mention their respectable country's name, in the same breath with that lot: because it is a good nation full of decent people - and we have worked with thousands of wonderful and decent Germans thus far, since those dreadful sharks!!!:)].

My sister met one of them at a WTM fair in London - and financed him to come to Ghana to do research for project proposal, for a local CBE initiative we were working with
a local government on.

To cut a long story short, they wanted virtually all the project money to be paid to them as consultants!!! But I pointed it out to them that apart from the fact that we, who were paying through the nose for their visit to Ghana, were doing it for no compensation, the money they wanted as the consultant's fees/salary, was far in excess of the official salary, of Ghana's head of state!

So in the end we fell out with them - and at a certain stage, I even had to get our national branch of Interpol, involved!
In the end, it is they who have gained from all that money we threw down the drain, as it were - not the local people we wanted to help!

Those hypocrites gained so much from the experience: their CV's have been enhanced; they have extended their network of contacts in West African fundamental tourism; and they had a marvellous all-expense paid trip to Ghana and Senegal; and above all, thanks to the super-fool known as Kofi Thompson, they were given the idea to set up a non-profit sustainable tourism organisation, of which they are exceedingly proud - and the sharks have an ever-so-respectable-online-presence: featuring the most respectable website, you ever saw! Such is life, Sunil! :)

But the law of Kharma has ensured that we are still able to support all those local communities we had originally meant to help, with those sharks - and our non-profit has become one of the biggest private foundations helping conservation in Ghana, through its support of the pioneering work of conservation organisations, using CBE as a tool for the preservation of Ghana's biodiversity and the preservation of its rich and diverse culture! Such is life, Sunil!!!!

So let us have that Skype conversation soon, Sunil - and email me your email address at:peakofithompson@yahoo.co.uk.
Stay blessed, Sunil!

Warmest regards,

Kofi."