It is the third day of April 2020. The “Soap donated, a life saved” was the slogan chosen by the Yali Regional Center Alumni, Burundi chapter for the soaps distributing campaign in Bujumbura commercial capital city; to reduce the COVID-19, the global pandemic spread.
With ‘washing hands often and social distancing’ as the government and world guidelines to avoid and break the disease chain of overspreading, the alumni opted for buying soaps from UJEAD, a YALI alumni-led company. The campaign distributed 1200 soaps at four different public. Mutanga Sud, Buyenzi and Nyakabiga municipal Lychees the downtown main bus stop. The headmasters of the schools did appreciate the help since it is not easy to afford to have at the disposal soaps and water for such overpopulated schools. The Deputy of the President of the bus drivers association (ATRABU) expressed his gratitude. ‘‘This is the main downtown bus stop, it is obvious that there must be many passengers, then soaps are needed. We appreciate this humanitarian and patriotic action to fight against COVID-19”.Vianney Baseka, the UJEAD Director and founder states that he finds it hard how a community such as Burundi can suffer from the lack of one piece of soap, insisting that people should learn from the Yali action to donate more soaps for the public places.
‘‘If everybody plays his part, this disease can be rapidly defeated. As we give soaps, someone else can donate hands sanitizers, then, we are likely to fight and win over this global outbreak’’, Baseka said, adding that he envisions to donate more soaps in rural communities.
In her poignant and outstanding remark, Raissa Irakoze, the Chairperson of Yali Alumni, a chapter of Burundi, thanked all the alumni who contributed both financially and physically as well as employees of CRDB Bank Burundi who donated BIF 120,000 to ease the task.