Supported by the DSF, three associations engaged in the fight against AIDS relay the Wi-Fi access to their community

There was a certain satisfaction in her voice as Dr. Françoise Ndayishimiye made the announcement, «This is a first in the history of telecommunications in Burundi. Until now, Bujumbura has been cut off from other sites in the country interior. Internet has now become a reality for our associations and we can take advantage of the resources provided by the DSF and correspond daily with our partners in Ngozi and Gitega, located 80 km away. »

The Executive Secretary of the National Council for the Fight against AIDS (CNLS) and President of the AIDSETI 1 network is convinced of the advantages of the project supported by the DSF. «First, satellite connections will facilitate the exchange of information between the actors in the fight against AIDS. In addition, certain difficult medical cases can now be examined remotely by physicians located in the capital or abroad. Lastly, we will be able to collect data on interventions carried out in the country and monitor them on a day-to-day basis. »

But the projects supported by the DSF are by no means limited to the installation of V-SAT antennae and providing broadband access to three sites: the first associations of Burundi involved in the programme – ANSS2 in Gitega, SWAA3 in Ngozi and CNLS in Bujumbura – are willing to share the broadband facility with other public stakeholders. The equipment required for interconnectivity among local communities within a range of 30 km is in the process of being deployed. On completion, 5 to 10 new beneficiaries, including dispensaries and hospitals, will have access to Wi-Fi. Finally, 30 computers will be available for use at each of the sites.

«AIDSETI’s projects in Burundi and Burkina Faso are the first pilot projects to be put in place by the Fund», explains Elena Ursache, head of projects at DSF. «It is vital that they should succeed, for the local communities have put their confidence in the terms of the DSF-AIDSETI agreement. Today, the AIDS associations are in the process of identifying the applications that are best adapted to their needs: only in this way can we make a meaningful change in the lives of the patients.» Finally, the DSF is further extending its contribution in Burundi with the installation of a fourth VSAT antenna at Bururi, where five hundred University students will be able to benefit from a broadband link.

1 AIDS Empowerment and Treatment International is a network of 23 associations in thirteen countries in Africa and the Caribbean
2 Association Nationale de Soutien aux Sidéens – National Association of Support to People Living with AIDS
3 Society of Women Against AIDS in Africa