“Even when you are told you cannot because you are a woman, just do it!”

Celebrating women humanitarians in Burundi

Vulnerable families receive WFP food assistance in Kirundo province. Photo: WFP/Djaounsede Madjiangar

With over 10 years of professional experience, Virginie Bukuru is a hardworking driver who could be considered one of the most versatile staff at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Burundi. Brave, devoted and sociable, Virginie started working right after her Secondary School as Administrative Secretary at the Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies in Burundi. Later on, she embraced a new career as the first female driver with WFP.

Virginie Bukuru in front of a WFP car assigned to her in Gitega Office. Photo: WFP/Aurore Ishimwe

Born into a society that stereotypes women, Virginie, a mother of six, started working with WFP in 2004. More than 15 years later, she still remembers the start of her WFP journey.

“When I started working, fellow women asked me why I chose to become a driver. This was because almost all professional drivers in Burundi were men, women thought they could not do it,” she explains.

Virginie was the first woman to work as a driver with a United Nations Organization in the country. Her service and performance inspired others and helped to alleviate stereotypes among Burundian men and women. Today, the whole system has nearly 10 female drivers.

At the beginning of her devoted career with WFP, Virginie was based in the Country Office in Bujumbura. Six years later, her duty station changed to Gitega in Central Burundi.

“When they opened the new office in Gitega, we were only two in the office: the Head of office and myself. I was able to do almost everything including driving, doing monitoring and evaluation, a bit of reporting, and administrative work” she said.

Today, the Gitega office has more than thirty staff and Virginie’s versatility had been a huge contribution to the success of the field operations.

As the world celebrates humanitarian aid workers, Virginie encourages all women including those who aspire to work in the humanitarian field to embrace whichever career with determination.

Virginie Bukuru drives a WFP pick-up truck in Gitega. Photo: WFP/Aurore Ishimwe

“Even when you are told you cannot, just do it. The humanitarian field will require you to work your heart and soul out and at the same time give you a feeling of satisfaction knowing that you have contributed to improving or changing somebody’s life,” she said.

Virginie’s dream is to see her six kids grow strong and healthy and also to see women go beyond cultural and societies’ stereotypes.