Juma Ndayizeyi’s story

Burundi is a landlocked country in East Africa, home to 14 million people, including Juma Ndayizeyi, the protagonist of our story. 

As Burundi is entrenched in poverty, many families cannot afford to send their kids to school, or require them to earn an income to take care of their household. As such, Burundi has a high school dropout rate of over 50%. And like many teenagers in the country, Juma had dropped out of high school to seek employment, finding work as a panel beater at the age of 14.

As the years passed, Juma worked hard, found love, got married, and had four beautiful children. However, in the backdrop of his success loomed the dark shadow of a decade long war between the Hutus and Tutsis. 

In 2007, the country found itself in a fragile post-conflict transition, but as many of us are aware, these transitions are seldom smooth. Amidst the violence, Juma was forced to flee, seeking asylum in South Africa. 

In a new country, far from everything he had ever known, Juma worked tirelessly to rebuild his life and provide for his family. By day, he worked as a panel beater, repairing damaged vehicles and learning the trade through long hours in local workshops. After work, he ran a small spaza shop in his community to earn extra income and help cover rent, food, and school expenses for his children.

For the first time in years, things finally seemed to be stabilising. The shop was growing, customers trusted him, and Juma began to believe that his family could build a future again.

But that sense of security did not last.

As the business became more visible, local gangsters began demanding “protection fees” – money Juma simply could not afford to pay. The threats escalated, and fearing for the safety of his family, he was eventually forced to shut down the shop, one of his family’s primary sources of income.

Then came another devastating blow.

While repairing a vehicle at work, Juma suffered a debilitating accident that severely injured his legs, leaving him unable to work for months. With no steady income,

mounting medical costs, and a family depending on him, Juma felt trapped in an endless cycle of hardship.

From fleeing violence in Burundi, to struggling as a refugee in a foreign country, to losing both his business and his ability to work, it seemed as though every time Juma tried to rebuild, life knocked him down again.

Desperate but determined not to give up, Juma and his family reached out to Islamic Relief for support.

Through the APESRA (Assistance, Protection, Education and Self-reliance for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) project — an initiative providing temporary relief and livelihood support to asylum seekers and refugees in South Africa — Juma and his family received food vouchers that helped them survive during one of the most difficult periods of their lives. While the vouchers eased the burden of providing daily meals, Juma was also given the opportunity to enrol in the APESRA Welding Training Programme. 

Although he already had some hands-on experience from years of workshop labour, he understood that formal training and certification could open doors that informal work never could. He wanted to sharpen his skills, earn credibility with customers, and build a stable source of income that no one could easily take away from him. 

After successfully completing the training, Juma received advanced welding equipment and practical business support to help him start earning independently again. Armed with new skills, formal certification, and renewed confidence, he opened a small welding workshop in Philippi.

Today, what started as a one-man operation has grown into a trusted local business. Through his workshop, Juma not only supports his own family, but has also created opportunities for others by employing and mentoring two assistants.

From repairing gates and burglar bars to custom metalwork and vehicle-related welding jobs, the workshop serves customers from across the Philippi community and surrounding areas. Clients regularly praise Juma and his team for their reliability, attention to detail, and quality workmanship — a reputation that continues to bring in new business through word of mouth.

Juma’s journey is a powerful reminder that success is rarely a straight path. Behind every achievement are unseen struggles, sacrifices, and moments of uncertainty. But with determination, resilience, and the right support at the right time, lives can be transformed. What once seemed impossible for Juma has now become a source of hope, not only for his own family, but for others in his community as well.

Stories like these are made possible through Islamic Relief South Africa’s Sustainable Livelihoods initiatives, which aim to empower individuals and families to build stable sources of income and long-term resilience. To support livelihoods projects that uplift communities and restore dignity, Click Here.