Learn about and help people from Burundi

Our church is hosting a cultural event on Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m., featuring recent immigrants from Burundi.

The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be gratefully accepted.

There will be music, dancing,  history, background on culture and politics, and food prepared by a chef from Burundi.

Most poitnantly, there will be personal stories told about why and how people from Burundi have come to this country seeking political asylum because of persecution, or fear of persecution, based on their race, religion, nationality, political opinions, or membership in social groups.

Most of the recent immigrants from Burundi are living in Portland and attend the Hope Gate Way United Methodist Church, which hosted a similar cultural event in February.

During the event, our church will present homemade quilts to members of the Burundi community that were created, stitch by stitch, during the past two Saturdays in our church by seven women.

Burundi is in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa, bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.