UnfilteredBrush : the Women Leaders Forum or Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha’s grand personal show

If Bujumbura was abuzz with the shimmering colors of African wax prints this week, it wasn’t just for celebration : it was the red carpet rolled out by the First Lady for the 6th edition of the Women Leaders Forum. A kind of festival where “maternal benevolence” strangely rhymes with presidential staging.

Never in the Burundian history, neither under the First Republic nor during the time of the kingdom, has a First Lady occupied such an institutional throne. Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha doesn’t just have a “representative role”: she heads the Office of the First Lady for Development in Burundi (OPDD), a solid and highly visible financial and political body.

Some figures are staggering : according to the UNICEF, the State budget for 2024-25 is 5,075 billion Burundi francs (BIF). Of course, the OPDD (Office of the First Lady for Development in Burundi doesn’t receive it all! But in a country where poverty and food insecurity remain stark realities, one can legitimately ask : what proportion of this power and prestige is truly dedicated to the most vulnerable, and what portion serves to maintain a facade of power?

Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha has also established a foundation, the Umugiraneza Foundation, officially dedicated to “good deeds,” women’s empowerment, health, and education. Altruistic! Very noble, on paper, indeed. Except when you organize lavish forums, invite first ladies from around the world, and talk about “harmonious development” : it sometimes looks more like a social lobbying gala than a concrete plan for the poorest Burundians.

Ndabazi! Nk’ubu mugomba muze kuntera amabuye. Hic! Detractors will say it’s cynical, a showcase of power rather than a genuine tool for change. Reka ndabisubiremwo: “Shame on him who thinks evil of it!” Certainly, but does this showcase truly shine for those who lack bread, education, or infrastructure? Or is it primarily a prestige show, financed by a State already grappling with difficult budgetary choices?

Have a nice weekend. SALIYUTI!!