Chirezi Foundation is a local non governmental organisation established in the African Great Lakes Region by Floribert Kazingufu Kasirusiru. The core objective of FOCHI is to build a campaign for a non-killing society in the Great Lakes Region - eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which has suffered both the Second Congo War and terrible waves of genocide in both Rwanda and Burundi. Since the early 1990s the African Great Lakes region – defined here as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania – has been convulsed by genocide, civil wars, inter-state conflict and flawed democratic transitions. With UN-sponsored peace processes underway in DRC and Burundi .
FOCHI
has so far conducted seminars of ministers of religion and teachers, to
create awareness and shift entrenched attitudes. FOCHI, with priority
concern for women and children, is building local projects. The first is
Farm of Hope School for orphans and children of single parent families
at Kiliba, DRC, a border crossing town on the Ruzizi River, near the
Burundi capital of Bujumbura. FOCHI's second project is a Women's Trauma
and Care Centre in Bukavu, the capital of Sud-Kivu Province in the DRC,
managed by Women Against Violence. In July 2007 three communities working under the FOCHI umbrella -
Kiliba Farm of Hope School, the Bukavu Women's Trauma and Care Centre,
and Nyangezi (seeking community radio for youth) formed a
Self-Empowering Network (SEN) to define their approach to development
and mutual help.
With Peace Direct, FOCHI promote sustainable peace in local communities, through the creation of the Baraza.
Main activities:
-Resolutions of conflicts;
-The creation of 3 new barazaChirezi Foundation works with TIRI: Integrity in Action in promoting integrity and transparency in the implementation of community projects.
Main activities:
-Monitoring of community projects;
-Involvement of women in community activities;
-Use of the Radio Club in monitoring.