The Basics

It's not an easy task to jump into a new country. Sometimes I feel like there's just so much to learn and so little time to do it that I get a bit overwhelmed. That being said, I thought it might be best to start with the basics, to begin at square one and build up from there.

First, I wanted to know where the name of my adopted country came from. What can it's etymology tell me about it's origins? The name of Burundi, as it turns out, originates from the Rundi language and means "Land of the Rundi-Speakers." This name was adopted in 1962 upon the region's independence from Belgian Ruanda-Urundi. I found that to be rather interesting. As I delved further into research about the former Belgian colony, I learned that Burundi and Rwanda were basically joined at the hip throughout their history and yet Burundi often found itself in the shadow of Rwanda. I still have a lot to learn about this relationship and I'll post more as I find more information on it.

Something else I wanted to know were the goals my country has set for itself. These are the ones I was able to find.

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2. Acheive universal primary education.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women.
4. Reduce child mortality.
5. Improve maternal health.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
7. Ensure environmental stability.
8. Develop a global partnership for development.
(www.indexmundi.com)

These seem like good goals for any developing country. I still don't know much about Burundi so I don't feel properly qualified to pass judgement or form opinions of my own, but I hope that by the end of this romp through my adopted country that I will be able to state with confidence whether or not these goals are plausible for the future.