BURURI, Burundi— President Évariste Ndayishimiye on Thursday toured an amethyst extraction site on Migera Hill in Bururi Province, praising a youth-led mining venture as a model of how innovation and hard work can power Burundi’s development.
The site, operated by about 400 young entrepreneurs with support from the government’s Programme d’Autonomisation Économique et d’Emploi des Jeunes (PAEEJ), has already produced nearly 500 metric tons of amethyst, according to program officials. PAEEJ said the project has “helped 400 young people regain their smiles” by creating sustainable work in a rural community.
Ndayishimiye urged young Burundians to seize opportunities, develop their talents and “dare to undertake,” warning that every individual would one day be accountable for what they had done with their life. “These young people embody a new generation determined to build Burundi through work and innovation,” he said.
Launched in 2021, PAEEJ is one of the government’s flagship programs to fight youth unemployment by financing cooperatives, offering training and expanding access to credit. The program has supported thousands of projects across the country in sectors ranging from agriculture to technology.
Analysts say youth-led mining projects face hurdles that could limit their impact, including unsafe working conditions, limited access to financing, environmental risks and weak connections to international markets. The government has pledged to modernize PAEEJ and provide technical support to ensure such ventures are sustainable and competitive.
