"There was a time when I was full of despair. Poverty had overwhelmed us,” Niyonkuru begins, his voice steady but heavy with memory. “We couldn’t even keep our child in school. And when he dropped out, things only got worse.”
42 year old Niyonkuru lives in Burundi with his wife and two grown children. Before he joined a Purpose Group with Plant With Purpose four years ago, he felt trapped in what he describes as a "vicious cycle of poverty." It wasn’t just economic hardship that wore him down. It was the way poverty began to erode his family from within.
"My son became angry and restless. He started stealing. First, small animals from neighbors, goods from stores, then even crops from our own house. Then, one day, the police came. He was arrested and sentenced to four months in prison. I had to sell our cow just to pay the court fees and bring him home.”
For a father, watching your child walk that path is a unique kind of heartbreak. In Niyonkuru’s case, it came not just from personal failure but from a world that offered no options, no safety net, and no way out.
"I was desperate. I had no income, no knowledge of farming techniques. My land was degraded. We used to burn trees just to get ash for fertilizing crops. It felt like we were destroying everything to survive another season.”
That destructive cycle isn’t unique to Niyonkuru’s family. Around the world, environmental degradation and poverty feed into each other, pushing people to clear forests, overuse chemicals, and exhaust their soil just to meet daily needs. But when those basic relationships between families, neighbors, and the land begin to heal, something remarkable happens.
"When I joined the Purpose Group, everything started to change,” he says. “I learned new techniques from the Seeds of Change environmental training: composting in pits, protecting the soil with contour lines, and using crop residues wisely. We planted tripsacum laxum (tall, utility grass) and trees together. Suddenly, my land wasn’t bare anymore.”
Before, Niyonkuru had believed that burning forests was not only acceptable. It was widespread.
"It was what our ancestors did. But now I see the value of preserving what God has given us. The tripsacum and the trees provide shade in the dry season, protect the soil, and feed the cows, which gives us manure. It’s all connected.”
The changes were not just physical. They were relational. As Niyonkuru restored his land, he began to restore relationships within his family.
"My son joined the Purpose Group, too. He went through the Theology of Work training, and that transformed him. He started living by the word of God, with responsibility and kindness. Now, he is a role model in our house. We even take loans together to support family projects.”
This new ability to trust again, to work together, and to see a future has been more valuable than anything money could buy.
"We’re no longer in chaos. In our home, there’s a calm spirit. And outside, the land is flourishing. We’ve harvested so many potatoes that we have 800 kilograms stored for food and sale. Our income has improved, and we can now afford things we never could before.”
For many, the idea of climate change or global environmental restoration can feel distant. But for someone like Niyonkuru, healing the world starts with the people and the land right in front of him.
"At first, I didn’t think about the environment. It felt too big, too far away from my daily struggles. But now I understand that if I care for my soil, my animals, and my neighbors, I’m playing a part in healing the planet.”
And it’s not just theory. Niyonkuru sees the results daily: green fields, peace at home, and purpose in his work.
"We live with dignity now. I believe that if I keep applying what I’ve learned, the money and the growth will come. I am no longer waiting for help. I am creating change.”
Niyonkuru’s transformation is a testament to the idea that restoring relationships between people, with the land, and with God has the power to reverse even the most broken situations. And it is made possible by those who support Plant With Purpose’s mission.
"Joining Plant With Purpose Burundi wasn’t just an opportunity. It was the solution we were praying for. Today, our family is whole again. Our land is fruitful. And our future is bright.”
Your support helps people like Niyonkuru break free from cycles of poverty and despair—and step into a life of restoration and purpose. Become a Purpose Partner and join us in healing relationships and renewing the planet, one family and one farm at a time.
