Burundi: UN Women donates a mini-oil mill to a vulnerable women’s cooperative in Rumonge

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, May 6, 2025 – A strong gesture toward the economic empowerment of rural women. On April 29, UN Women officially handed over a mini-oil mill donation worth more than 600 million Burundian francs to the Dukundane women’s cooperative, at Gashasha hill, in Rumonge commune’s Kigwena zone, in the southwestern small East African nation.

The factory, named Tamura Oil of Karonda, meets the needs of a group of women who have long been marginalized. The Dukundane cooperative has 185 members, including 175 women from families in precarious situations: returnees, survivors of gender-based sexual violence, and women without access to land. These women practice artisanal palm oil extraction, which they resell to generate income to support their families.

“We created the cooperative under the guidance of the Families to Defeat AIDS (FVS) organisation and women actors of peace and dialogue. It was created thanks to our weak contributions. We didn’t know that one day we would receive support from the UN. This mini-oil mill will allow us to increase our revenues,” confides one of the members in emotion.

The initiative is part of a program promoting female leadership and strengthening social cohesion in vulnerable communities. It aims to provide women with concrete tools to become key players in local development.

Often Forgotten Economic Pillars

In Burundi, rural women play a crucial role in the household economy. They carry out the majority of agricultural activities, manage small family businesses, and ensure the education and health of children. Yet, they often remain on the margins of financing channels and public development policies.

By providing the Dukundane cooperative with a modern processing unit, UN Women is helping to break this cycle of exclusion and strengthen the economic resilience of those who, behind the scenes, support entire sectors of Burundian society.

This donation represents much more than equipment: it is a signal of encouragement to all rural women who, despite the challenges, organize, innovate, and invest in a better future for themselves and their communities.