In a small, dark room in a Tanzanian refugee camp, there is one dazzling source of light: Bintunimana’s smile.  

Although the 97-year-old has experienced more than his fair share of challenges in his life, he is one of the most optimistic and hopeful individuals you could ever meet. He now talks animatedly about the help he’s received from Medical Teams and his thoughts about the future, but just a short while ago, he was too weak to utter a single word.  

Globally, many elderly people lack access to quality health care despite their increased risks. This access is even more restricted in unstable environments like refugee camps. When Bintunimana arrived at the Kigoma Nduta camp after fleeing Burundi, he brought a lifetime of hardship and loss with him. 

Bintunimana was a Methodist pastor back home in Burundi, with vast farmland, investments, and a large family. He valued his role in the community as someone who shared God’s word and lifted others up in their faith.  

Tragically, family members began stealing portions of his land, igniting a bitter conflict that would tear the family apart. Bintunimana and his wife eventually lost all 8 of their children in the violent clash. 

“They intended to kill us all,” he fearfully recalls. “I never wanted to see all of us vanish, so we decided to give up and flee to Tanzania.” 

His troubles grew shortly after arriving at the camp, when he received a diagnosis of liver cancer. Without access to plentiful and varied nutrition, the disease quickly began to take a toll on his body. He lost his children, his land, his possessions, and now was losing his health. “My body was weak,” he recalls. He also struggled with stomach issues.  

Prior to receiving care, he was so weak that he could barely speak. Then, he found Medical Teams. 

He sought nutritional support from Medical Teams and was provided complementary foods to help balance his nutrients and support healthy digestion. He and his wife were enrolled in a feeding program where she received training in nutritional food preparation.  

They were also assigned a dedicated community health worker for home visits to check his progress. In a relatively short time, Bintunimana began to feel not only his strength returning, but his hope. 

“My health is improving because my body is receiving the nutrients it needs,” Bintunimana shares happily. 

His diet now includes nutrient-rich foods like sardines, cabbage, pineapple, beans, and oranges. 

“Before, it was difficult for me to talk, but now I can.” Thanks to the generous support of our community, we were able to give Bintunimana his voice back, a voice that he joyfully uses to talk about his hopes for the future. 

“My name means ‘all is from God.’ So, I have hope to fight this disease and recover.” 

Thanks to timely intervention, someone who may have suffered on the fringes of society was treated with the care and dignity he deserves. Bintunimana now has the chance to continue living a full life in health and peace thanks to the life-saving care he received.  

At 97 years young, he reminds us that at any age, the gift of health is truly priceless.