After several years in exile in Uganda, Joella Murekatete and her two children finally returned home to Burundi, a homecoming filled with emotion, gratitude, and renewed hope. Joella, a single mother of two, expresses deep gratitude for the support she and her children have received since they arrived at the Kinazi Transit Center.

Managed by the African Initiative for Relief and Development (AIRD), in collaboration with UNHCR and the Government of Burundi, the center provides vital assistance from food and shelter to hygiene and transport, ensuring that returnees can continue their journey home safely and with dignity.

“We are grateful to AIRD for welcoming us, giving us food, and showing us where to rest,” she says. “They treated us kindly and made sure we had everything we needed for our journey back home. I am happy to know that going back to our village will not be difficult, because we have safe transport arranged for us.”

AIRD’s work goes beyond logistics; it restores hope and stability for families like Joella’s. With her two children by her side, she looks forward to rebuilding her life and contributing to her community.
“We thank everyone for their continued efforts to help us,” she says. “We hope that those who are still behind will also receive the same support we have been given.”

For Joella and her children, returning home is more than the end of exile; it is the start of a new chapter filled with peace, dignity, and the promise of a brighter future.