VNG International has been working on improved local governance in partnership with the Association of Burundi Communes (ACO-Burundi) since 2008. Work started with the professionalisation of the Association of Burundese Communes (first named ABELO and currently ACO-Burundi) (LGCP programme 2012-2015) and extended support to specific municipalities (IDEAL 2017-2021). Currently 3 projects are being implemented; Sustainable Development through improved Local Governance (SDLG, 2022-2026) strives to promote more accountable, responsive and inclusive local governance in 13 communes in the provinces of Bururi, Rutana, Makamba and Cibitoke. To achieve this, the project plans to enhance the overall mandate and legal and fiscal framework of local governments, improve the social contract between communes and citizens through more accountable and transparent leadership and improve the local policies and procedures on own source revenue; We Are Able! (2021-2025) focusses on increasing inclusion and political participation of people living with dissabilities and is being implemented in 4 Burundese communes in Cibitoke and Makamba; Amahoro@Scale (2022-2026) aims to improve tenure security and land governance in the Makamba province, as well as on the national level.
Our staff

Rémy Ndayiragije,
Country Representative and Associate Expert
” Defending Dignity, Fighting Poverty”
“Veuillez trouver ici la biographie de Remy Ndayiragije en français.”
Rémy is a governance expert working with VNG International since 2017 who has been working passionately on local governance, local economic development (LED), peace-building and conflict transformation, and gender transformation for over 15 years. In Burundi, he aims to help improve cooperation on decentralisation, Land Law, local planning (Citizen Participation, Inclusive Governance and Accountability) and the legal framework for decentralisation.
Aloys Mashanya,
Head of Finance and Administration
With a University degree in Financial Audit and Management Control. Aloys has more than 20 years of experience. 5 years in accounting, 10 years in the supervision administrative, financial and resource management of NGOs offices, 6 years in the management of contracts and grants with various donors and partners as well as capacity building for civil society organizations.

Nadia Uwimana
Programme Assistant
Nadia has a degree from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, in the Department of Clinical and Social Psychology. She has 8 years of experience working with civil society organisations in the defence of human rights in general and the rights of people with disabilities in particular as a volunteer and 2 years in inclusive governance, since the training on Inclusive Governance she completed.

Daniella Nkanira,
Programme Assistant (SDLG)
A graduate in Management and Administration (finance and accounting option) with experience in international organizations in East and Central Africa, Daniella has been an assistant with the SDLG Burundi project in local resource management and mobilization since January 2024. Her ambition is to contribute to the sustainable development of the country through transparent local fiscal management.

Janvier Irangarukiye,
Programme Assistant (SDLG)
Janvier is a Civil Engineer in civil engineering with 5 years of experience working with local authorities. He has expertise in municipal project management, participatory & inclusive local planning, adult training, and supervision of cooperatives.

Gervais Niyonkuru,
Chauffeur and Logistics Specialist
Next to being VNG Internationals chauffeur in Burundi, Gervais supports the Administrative Management of the Burundi Office and the programme staff in the logistical preparation of field activities and the justification of expenditure. After finishing Electromechanics at secondary school, he is to complete his university studies with two years in Civil Engineering.
Contact details:
Address:
VNG International Burundi,
B.P.822, Avenue du Cinquantenaire 10,
Kigobe Sud, Bujumbura
Telephone: +257 79 94 34 22
Email Address: remy.ndayiragije@vngi.org
Visiting Address:
VNG International Burundi,
B.P.822, Avenue du Cinquantenaire 10,
Kigobe Sud, Bujumbura