Meet Emmanuel

Emmanuel is my Burundian roommate. He is 30 years old and has a wife who is currently several months pregnant. She has been pregnant in the past, but due to complications they haven’t yet been able to have a child. Because of the importance of having children in Burundian culture, we are all hoping and praying that they will this time be successful. His wife lives in their home upcountry, while during the week Emmanuel comes to the city for work; due to lack of employment outside the city, many Burundians do likewise. Emmanuel graduated from the university as a civil engineer, and is always busy drawing up plans for houses and buildings. He is presently responsible for a large building project of the Scripture Union, with whom he is also employed as a contributing author and editor for various Christian publications. One of my favourite moments in Burundi so far was watching Emmanuel laugh hysterically to the film ‘The God’s Must Be Crazy,’ which in a very humorous way depicts the strangeness of both ‘Western’ and African cultures when they encounter each other. Indeed, there have been some interesting moments in our own cross-cultural encounters, and my friendship with him has been important to help me gain access and understanding in regard to Burundi and its people.