Burundi – A Bantu Beza – The Good People

A Bantu Beza – The Good People of Burundi

A Bantu Beza (The Good People) is a series of documentary portraits created by Jason in Burundi, East Africa. One of the world’s poorest nations, Burundi has the lowest per-capita GDP globally and a history shaped by the complex social differences between the Twa, Tutsi, and Hutu peoples, who have lived side by side for centuries.

Through this project, Jason used his skills as a reportage and portrait photographer to capture the dignity, resilience, and diversity of Burundi’s people. The series documents communities across the country while drawing attention to specific areas of social concern, including:

• The displacement of the Batwa (Pygmy) people

• The lives of street children in urban centres

• The impact of the AIDS pandemic across Burundi

By combining sensitive portraiture with a journalistic eye, Jason’s work highlights the human stories behind political and social unrest in the region. The project was produced in partnership with Emerge Poverty Free (emergepovertyfree.org).