About ANBU
In 2011, Burundian archivist Jean Bosco Ntungirimana published a landmark study exposing the dire state of Burundi's national archives. Thousands of irreplaceable files sat in disorganized piles, damaged by rain, humidity, and pests. Without intervention, entire chapters of Burundian history faced permanent erasure.
In October 2021, MBUYU — a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit — partnered with ABADBU, the Association of Librarians, Archivists and Recordkeepers of Burundi, to launch an ambitious digitization effort. A dedicated scanning team in Bujumbura began converting fragile paper records into high-resolution digital images, working through rolling blackouts with battery-powered scanners and cellular internet.
ANBU exists to make this work accessible to everyone: Burundian citizens reconnecting with their heritage, international researchers studying the region, and institutions seeking primary sources from one of Africa's least-documented countries.
Burundi will celebrate its independence without any improvement in the preservation of the national collective memory.
A groundbreaking study by Jean Bosco Ntungirimana reveals the critical state of Burundi's archives
MBUYU and ABADBU form a partnership to digitize the national archives
Digitization begins — a team works through rolling blackouts with battery-powered scanners
ANBU launches, making Burundi's archival heritage accessible to the world
A groundbreaking study by Jean Bosco Ntungirimana reveals the critical state of Burundi's archives
MBUYU and ABADBU form a partnership to digitize the national archives
Digitization begins — a team works through rolling blackouts with battery-powered scanners
ANBU launches, making Burundi's archival heritage accessible to the world
Our scanning team works in challenging conditions — navigating rolling power outages, sweltering heat, and limited connectivity in Bujumbura. Armed with battery-powered scanners and mobile hotspots, they have digitized over 1.8 million pages of Burundi's most fragile records. Their dedication ensures that documents which survived decades of neglect are now preserved for generations to come.
ABADBU
Association of Librarians, Archivists and Recordkeepers of Burundi — the institutional guardian of Burundi's documentary heritage.
MBUYU
MBUYU is a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing technical and financial support for the digitization effort.
Republic of Burundi
Documents Digitized
640+
We believe in full transparency. Every dollar donated goes directly toward scanning equipment, team salaries, and infrastructure. Our progress is tracked in real time and reported publicly.
57,718+
Images
52+
Years