Burundi

Heading back to Africa for one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. In fact, Burundi is considered by many to be the most underdeveloped country in the world. Half the population in illiterate, and only one percent of the 10 million people living in Burundi have internet connections and know how to use them. 

Part of the problem with Burundi is that when violence erupts, growth often  comes to a halt. 

Burundi sits next to Rwanda, and the Hutu and Tutsi divide that plagued Rwanda in the 90s did the same for Burundi. For 12 years a brutal civil war raged on, and 300,000 people died. 

We talked about in Rwanda they eventually took a path forward as Rwandans, removing tribal labels. Burundi chose a different path, with dialogue and debate and it hasn't turned out as well as they had hoped. 

Reconstruction efforts in Burundi started to  take effect after 2006. The UN shut down its peacekeeping mission and re-focused on helping with reconstruction

More political upheaval in 2015 set back the country even further. In April 2015 protests broke out after the ruling party announced President Pierre Nkurunziza would seek a third term in office, while protesters claimed running for a third term violated the constitution. (So basically the constitution was changed and Nkurunziza is still president today). 

I mean, Nkurunziza wasn't the greatest to begin with, in 2014 he banned jogging- because he thought it was a cover for subversion. 

Today, Burundi sits at a Level 3: Reconsider Travel on the new US Department of State Travel Warnings. The country deals like things grenade attacks and armed robbery on a frequent basis, and the citizens there are subject to frequent police and military checkpoints. 

You won't  find tourists checking out the awesome volcanoes or the trekking the chimpanzees that call Burundi home, as the country is off-limits to travelers. 

It was a challenge to nail down a landmark, but Burundi is where you'll find the 'Southernmost source of the Nile!' There are 3 claims of the source of the Nile and they all have separate names. 

This source was discovered in 1934, and today is nothing more than an ugly concrete wall with a PVC pipe sticking out of it. From this came a small trickle into a small pond (which is often littered with trash, btw). A short climb up the hill takes you to a rock pyramid to mark the significance of the site. 

For all of the difficulties the people of Burundi have faced, they are a lesson in being resilient and appreciating the highs when you have to deal with so many lows. 

The Burundi Royal Drummers are internationally famous for their energetic dances while playing drums made out of hallowed out tree trunks covered in animal skins. 

The people of Burundi also work with that they have. Most of what they eat comes from their lakes, and rivers. Catch a Nile Perch, and it can feed you for awhile. They grow up to 6 feet in length. 

Lake Tanganyika (part of the African Great Lakes), is the world's longest freshwater lake and is home to over 350 species of fish.  It is the second oldest freshwater lake in the world, second largest by volume, and the second deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia.  Burundi shares this lake with Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. 

One more thing- we almost did Burundi during explorers week along with David Livingstone. He was the first European to extensively explore Africa (in the mid 1800s). He wanted to study the land, the people, and see an end to the slave trade, but he got lost along the way. The whole world was looking for him- until the journalist Henry Stanley sent out on a quest to find him. It took eight months, but then when finally could him he uttered the phrase "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" 

A large rock in Burundi, called The Pierre de Livingstone et Stanley, commemorates a trip the two took to Burundi after they had found each other. 

The boys made their postcards. 

Calib's featured the PVC pipe as the start of the Nile. 

Peyton noted the Royal Drummers, and the Giant Nile Perch. 

And Hayden put Doctor Livingstone hidden away in the trees. 

Being one of the least developed country in the world, I couldn't come up with much beyond fish that they get from Lake Tanganyika. We just cannot do fish here. We've tried, and I can't bring myself to spend money on something I know we just will dread eating and then throw in the trash after moving it around on our plates for half an hour, not wanting to be the first to admit we totally hate the meal. 

I mean, in Burundi, you work with what you have. And the fishing industry works for them, it employs women and boosts incomes in a country who really needs it (although overfishing could be a problem). 

If fish (and red palm oil) work for you, you could always try that.  But, beyond the fish, I haven't liked anything we've done with red palm oil. It's just not my thing. 

I did find a recipe for Date and Banana Mix, that looked somewhat promising, so Burundi doesn't get a whole meal, but rather a snack, or a dessert. 

This earned three spoons up. 

And, those three weren't enthusiastic. Asa was the only one who finished his serving. I thought it'd be good with like a scoop of ice cream and some caramel syrup. Or maybe some of that warm vanilla topping they put on the wontons at Yak and Yeti's, or just a little soggier some maple syrup. 

Basically, I was trying to make it into a bread pudding, because for a dessert, it was rather plain. 

The boys didn't mind the dates so much, though, which surprised me. 

The boys picked a bright orange color for Burundi and filled it in to the south or yellow Rwanda, to the east of the large dark purple Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to the west of light green Tanzania. 

That's 173 countries down, 23 to go! 

Next Up: Suriname