Civil society plays a transformative role in ensuring that those with power hear the voices of all people. That is why the Just Future Alliance aims to achieve equitable access to justice for all. The story of Burundian schoolteacher Nelly shows what this directly means in the lives of people who are often excluded from opportunities.
When Nelly was a young girl, she had little perspective and no opportunities to work towards becoming a teacher. Now, even though she has difficulty walking, she is living that dream, thanks to the efforts of the Burundian partners in the Just Future alliance. ‘If nobody had advocated for my rights, my dream of becoming a teacher would have gone up in smoke’, Nelly says.
Shrinking civil space
The alliance establishes partnerships with international and local civil society organisations that enable women, youth and people affected by conflict to advocate for their demands.
Just Future is a five-year programme funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and implemented in six countries: Afghanistan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan.
In numerous countries, like Burundi, the opportunities for autonomous action are diminishing, and civil society groups are frequently fragile.
Cordaid and Just Future
Consequently, the perspectives of the most marginalised are rarely represented in the policies and actions of justice and governance actors, as well as in international policy discussions that determine priorities and resource allocation.
To strengthen the capacity of civil society to lobby and advocate for the interests of citizens and hold those in power accountable, the programme was established in 2021 with Cordaid as the lead organisation.
Determination and courage
Nelly works at a Catholic school in the province of Bururi, in the country’s south. Just like many children living with disabilities, she struggled during her journey in life. Some of her friends and family members had little faith that Nelly would ever succeed in reaching her life goals.
With determination and courage, Nelly successfully continued her studies and obtained her degree. Unfortunately, it would have been difficult for Nelly to find work in a school located in her remote and difficult-to-access area. ‘Once I had my degree’, she says, ‘my heart became filled with doubts about how to get a job and especially where I could work, given my disability.’
Fight against stigmas
She contacted the Union for People with a Disability of Bururi and the Umuhivu platform, to plead in her favour. Umuhivu then joined forces with other partners to advocate for Nelly. The objective was to find a school for her in an environment that would allow her to work comfortably. The assignment committee accepted the request and, currently, Nelly’s work is less than 5 kilometres from her home.
Brave and persistent Nelly calls for the continuity of advocacy and community awareness actions to fight against the stigmas of people living with disabilities. ‘It’s difficult, but the platform must continue its important advocacy work.’