Many hands have contributed to the success of this project.
When the THW helped us in April 2009 to transport the hull to the rented workshop in Steuerwalder Straße, we had no idea that the boat would be swimming and sailing on Lake Tanganyika in February 2012, having been refurbished to the finest standard and ready to go.
The Hanoverian association IREMBO and its chairman Gerard Niyimbonera had suggested that we make the boat available to Burundian young people from the capital and port city of Bujumbura in Burundi, thus giving them the opportunity to generate income through transportation.
Supported by the “ Strengths on site” program, young people from the Labora youth workshop were able to put their talent to the test. Supported by the workshops of Arbeit und Dritte Welt, with the help of the vocational training center and coordinated by the city’s youth welfare office, the boat was finally handed over to Burundi’s ambassador at a ceremony on Hildesheim’s market square in August 2010.
The financial support for the transport from Hildesheim to Burundi was initiated by the Burundian Honorary Consul Dietrich von Berg, so that the transport finally took place in the fall of 2011. The boat has now already covered several nautical miles on Lake Tanganyika. Gerard Niyimbonera saw for himself a few weeks ago. It floats and it sails!
