HUMANITARIAN TRANSITION IN THE MAHAMA BURUNDIAN REFUGEE CAMP: REALITY AND NECESSITY
Burundian refugees’ appreciation of aid
For a long time, emergency and development humanitarian aid was the monopoly of Western countries alone. After colonization, this situation contributed to inequalities between donor and recipient countries. The multitude of interventions and the modus operandi of humanitarian aid reinforce the miserable image of recipient populations. Nevertheless, in recent years, in the face of multiple changes in the world, the African continent has gradually begun to question this model of Western intervention and cooperation.
This work carried out in the Burundian context, particularly in the Mahama camp for Burundian refugees in Rwanda, highlights two points. On the one hand, the importance of emergency humanitarian aid is recognized by the beneficiaries. On the other hand, the limits of humanitarian aid, including the incompatibility between the local culture of the beneficiaries and the projects developed by international NGOs, are highlighted. The lack of integration of beneficiaries in the projects that concern them is one of the causes of this gap between what NGOs offer and real, priority needs. The local NGO, Maison Shalom, which proposes an alternative management approach aimed at empowering the people concerned, is showing encouraging results. The research clearly shows that the humanitarian transition is real in the Burundian context, but also that it is necessary if the dignity of the population concerned is to be preserved.
