In Burundi, President Évariste Ndayishimiye has embarked on an ambitious project: raising rabbits to lift the population out of poverty. A program which is not only limited to the breeding of these small animals, but which also aims to energize the entire country. The authorities therefore decided to mobilize the entire public administration to start raising rabbits.
The Minister of the Interior, Municipal Development and Public Security has given until October 31 to all services within his department to build a hutch housing at least five rabbits next to their offices or camps. This ministerial directive is addressed to provincial governors, district chiefs, as well as police stations present throughout Burundi.
The objective of this mobilization is to lead by example and popularize the president’s program to lift Burundians out of extreme poverty. Évariste Ndayishimiye has in fact announced his ambition to skin at least 200,000 rabbits per day and to set up a factory to package rabbit meat for export. According to him, this would generate enough wealth for each Burundian to have a monthly income of one million Burundian francs, the equivalent of 335 euros.
This program has already aroused the enthusiasm of many senior state executives and ordinary citizens, who have started rabbit breeding. Thanks to credits granted by various organizations, they now claim to be making profits. However, voices are being raised to criticize this project, deeming it unrealistic and poorly prepared. In fact, Burundians are not used to eating rabbit and do not know how to raise them. Some therefore believe that raising rabbits cannot be the miracle solution to get the country out of poverty.
Despite the criticism, President Ndayishimiye is staying the course and calling on all the country’s leaders to invest in agriculture, considered an essential lever for combating poverty. This project, if successful, could not only improve the living conditions of Burundians, but also boost the economy by creating new business opportunities and promoting exports.
In conclusion, raising rabbits to escape poverty is a bold project launched by President Évariste Ndayishimiye in Burundi. If its feasibility remains subject to debate, the fact remains that this initiative demonstrates the country’s desire to find innovative solutions to improve the living conditions of the population. It remains to be seen whether this rabbit breeding will really be the engine of economic and social development in Burundi.