In June, Thilo Kehrer (a German international footballer) was in Burundi to celebrate the first anniversary of the Thilo Kehrer cultural center (CTK in French) located in Gitega. The 2-day festivities included soccer matches, traditional drumming (called "ingoma" in Kirundi, the national language of Burundi), traditional and modern dance performances, as well as speeches.
"It's a pleasure for me to see all that has been achieved at the youth center since its opening in 2022, here in Gitega. And I'd like to pass on a message: I've fought hard to realize my dream of becoming a footballer. Through CTK, I want to help you, the young people of Burundi, so that you too can realize your dream. So don't give up," said Thilo Kehrer in his speech.
The cultural center was set up by Fondation Stamm, Thilo Kehrer Foundation & BURUNDI KIDS, our German partner. The CTK is located next to one of our technical schools: ETO (“école technique Omnis” in French). The youth center offers many socio-cultural activities as well as sports activities. The CTK includes soccer clubs, a digital and physical library, language courses, computer courses... To celebrate the first anniversary of the youth center, Thilo Kehrer was present, along with other guests of honor. These included Verena Stamm (legal representative of Fondation Stamm), Thilo Kehrer's family, Dieter Reinl (German Ambassador to Burundi) and his wife, as well as members of the local administration in Gitega.
