Gitega : lack of equipment, teachers, and infrastructure : the ordeal of pupils with disabilities

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, October 7, 2026 — At Notre Dame de la Sagesse High School in Gitega, formerly CND, more than 150 pupils with various types of disabilities are pursuing their education under difficult conditions. A lack of adapted equipment, limited access to healthcare, an insufficient number of specialized teachers, and inadequate infrastructure are among the main obstacles they face. In their testimonies, these pupils describe the difficulties that punctuate their daily school life at this institution in Gitega, the political capital of Burundi.

“I come from a very poor family. So I have trouble getting crutches and a tricycle, which are essential for me to get around. It’s especially difficult when I have to go to the dormitory, to class, or to the cafeteria.” “I also need to see a doctor regularly, but accessing healthcare remains difficult for me,” says Vincent Darcy Bikorimana, 17 years old, a 9th-grade pupil living with a physical disability.

For other pupils, the difficulties mainly concern the necessary equipment to follow lessons effectively. This is the case for Deolore Evangeline Batemere, 16 years old, a 9th-grade pupil living with albinism.

“I can’t see what’s written on the board very well. I have to take notes from my classmates’ notebooks, which affects my grades. I also have trouble finding suitable products to protect my skin, as well as a hat that would allow me to move around when the sun is too strong,” she explains.

Blind pupils also face significant challenges, particularly due to a lack of adapted equipment and specialized teachers.

“We lack the adapted equipment to take our notes properly in class.” “There are many of us among the blind pupils, but few specialized teachers. Because of the lack of teachers proficient in Braille, our grades often arrive late, which affects our learning,” laments Belly Nishimwe, 20 years old, a first-year pupil in social sciences and humanities at the same school.

She also denounces the prolonged breakdown of a device used by blind pupils for their schoolwork.

“It’s been almost three years since the device used to compile grades stopped working. This makes it difficult for us to organize ourselves and access the lessons studied in class on time,” she explains.

Faced with these difficulties, the administration of Notre Dame de la Sagesse High School in Gitega, formerly CND, is calling for increased human and material resources to allow pupils with disabilities to continue their education under better conditions.

The school’s director, Father Simon Nzigirabarya, indicates that the school is in particular need of two specialized teachers to support blind pupils, as well as two teachers responsible for sign language interpretation for deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils.

But the lack of staff is not the only problem, he emphasizes. The school also faces difficulties related to its infrastructure.

“We lack showers, toilets, and dormitories adapted for pupils with disabilities,” explains Father Simon Nzigirabarya.

The director is therefore calling on the Ministry of Education to take measures to address these needs and improve the learning and living conditions of pupils with disabilities at this school in Gitega, the political capital of Burundi.