Newsletter Articles
Prosper Ndabishuriye Imprisoned over Christmas
Mpimba Central Prison, capacity of 800, but today we are around 3000 people
Editor's note: Read Prosper's back story here. Read about YRWD here. Read about the lawsuit here.
For now, I can say that I will not be able to make my trip to go in Holland and USA, scheduled for January 2006, due to the present situation in which I am today.
I didn't want to tell you that I have been imprisoned in Mpimba Central
Prison, since December 16, 2005 until this time. Mpimba Central Prison where I am held since December 16, 2005, has a capacity of accommodating 800 persons, but today we are around 3000 people, held in Mpimba Central Prison.
You can imagine in which condition we are. Remember, this is my seventh time, to be jailed, due to The Albert Schweitzer Society and Mr. Harold Fetter who failed to fulfill their commitment, to pay the money due.
As you already know, I won the case twice in United States Court, but the Albert Scwheizter Society and Mr. Harold Fetter were not able to pay the money due and the Society does not have any assets. This is making me and my family to suffer. If I do not get the money to pay my creditors, even though I can be realised from the prison, my creditors will put me in prison, again and again. My family is really suffering due to my present situation, but I have peace and joy in me, a joy and peace which do not depend on the situation in which I am today.
Today, all my creditors are doing whatever they can to keep me in prison and remain there until their payment is made. But, I continue to believe that the efforts to obtain donations from International Foundations that Hogan & Hartson is making will give some fruits, but not for sure, as I have been informed by my attorney Lynne Baum, in Washington DC.
In prison, I have my mobile phone and can make and receive phone calls. As I do not have access to internet in prison, with my Laptop, I prepare email messages and then my secretary comes to take it and go to send my emails. While she is sending my emails, she also receives the emails from friends/partners and then brings back my lapton, and so on ... So, while I am in prison, I will be able to
stay in touch with you. Any email message sent to me, I will be receiving it within 24 hours and can be answered within 48 hours.
Despite the situtation in which I am going through today, JRMD continues with its projects of home building, Africa America Exchange, etc...
I continue to pray and believe that God will provide according to His Timing and Goodness so that I may be fred from this situation that I have been going through since 1999 updated.
Let us be thankful in all situations. Thank you for your prayers and
assistance.
JRMD/YRWD
B.P. 2366
BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI
TELEPHONE: (257) 920 609
Email: info@jrmd.org or ndapros@yahoo.fr
Website: www.jrmd.org
Website: www.hol.edu/aax
Message from Mike Seymour:
Dear Friends,
The New Year is upon us and along with the promise it carries comes the challenges always inherent in moving forward.
We stand now, together, joined in our hearts, minds and recent efforts by one man, our friend Prosper Ndabishuriye.
Since December 16th, Prosper has been in prison as a result of old indebtedness incurred in 1999-2000 as a result of his contact with Harold Fetter representing the Albert Schweitzer Society of Ohio. Fetter visited Burundi and promised funds for home building, offering reassurances over a year long period that led Prosper to commit to purchasing building materials from local suppliers in Burundi. Later Fetter reneged on his promise leaving Prosper with accumulated debts for home building materials in excess of $200,000.
Prosper was jailed repeatedly in 1999 through 2002, causing great suffering to his family and to himself. Becasue there were threats to his and his familiy's life at that time, his family moved to Kenya where they lived apart from Prosper until last December, after our work together had begun.
Prosper later connected with Hogan & Hartson, an international law firm in Washington, D.C. which took his case against the Albert Schweitzer Society and its representative Harold Fetter through the circuit court of appeals in Ohio. In 2005 Prosper was completely exonerated and blame placed on Fetter. (A copy of that judgement is available to anyone who requests it.)
Despite the judgement, no funds have been re-paid. It turns out that neither Fetter nor the Albert Schweitzer Society of Ohio have any assets which can be attached. And international law cannot punish Fetter or the society.
Burundian law being what it is, Prosper remains in jail, and is subject to being jailed repeatedly if released. He has retained a lawyer, but I have not yet learned of his legal options or the prospects for his case.
Lynne Baum, a Hogan & Hartson lawyer, will be sending out grant applications to NGO’s and foundations that fund Prosper’s kind of work. The appeal is for debt relief, but with the idea that this will enable a courageous and much-needed organization (JRMD) to continue its peace-making and home- building work in Burundi. I also wrote a letter which will accompany these grants.
This is a difficult time, but we are not without resources. The home-building work can continue with Prosper’s staff coordinating the work under his direction from prison.
Propser’s spirits are good and he continues to be an inspiration. He has his cell phone and has access to his laptop computer. Each day his secretary, Clarisse, brings him his laptop containing email messages which he has received. He reads them, and then writes his replies. Upon her return to the office Clarisse then re-connects his computer and sends out his messages
Please send Prosper your messages of encouragement to (info@jrmd.org).
I also ask for your financial help. We need to build a general Burundi fund—something like an escrow fund that can be used for paying a variety of purposes. Purposes including but also beyond our home building project. Funds for legal fees, JRMD organizational expenses, even for bringing Prosper food, since he’s told me that the Burundi prison food is not good.
Please send tax-deductible check in any amount to: Youth for a New World, PO Box 379, Clinton WA 98236. Or you can pay by credit card at the Youth for a New World web site: https://www.youthnewworld.org/donate.cfm
We will continue the AfricaAmericaExchange schools program, with Clarisse’s support. Clarisse will deliver and pick up the student letters helping to move them between Burundian and American students.
Our challenge in difficult times is to find the opportunity within ourselves to become a bit more of the bigger person we are each capable of being.
Keep Prosper in your prayers and send him your best wishes via your email messages. Donate as much as you can.
And perhaps most importantly find the compassionate and optimistic place in your heart. I know that something far bigger than any of us can comprehend is in motion here--something that can lead to a higher good for all.
Blessings to all of you for being such a gift to Prosper and to myself.
Warmly,
Mike Seymour
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Phone: 360-542-1389
Donate for Burundi: https://www.youthnewworld.org/donate.cfm
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Comments on this Entry:
Gentlemen,
Strange as it may be, I have learned (correction expected) that Mr. Harold Fetter is now deseased.
But I have known this case for a very long time. As I recall the facts, on the original agreement between the Albert Schweitzer Society and Mr. Prosper, it stated that NO FINANCIAL support was to be given to his entity, only PUBLIC RELATIONS support. However later phone calls between Prosper and Mr Fetter resulted in a comitment from Mr Fetter to guarantee payment. It is late now and we all are sorry. Mr Fetter and his son lost a substancial amount of funds in speculations that where NOT authorised. Most of the members of the Board left the society already in 1998 or 1999. It was handled only by Mr. Fetter. Asd far as we know, Dr Bogaerts was in a hospital with a total brain hemorage, that took him more than 1 year to recuperate. He left the society in disgust of actions done by Fetter, that was in 1998. He himself had devoted for more than 25 years most of the help (donations given by large corporation and only in form of medical equipment) to the poor and the needy. We don't know how he is doing today. We lost contact over the years. We learned however that Prosper was in the United States, giving lectures in churches and schools, so he would have received quit some funds, because the American poeple are giving easy and much funds. Maybe, this will clear up a bid of all the confusion. We know that the sister society is arranging now for a clinic in Burundi. We don't know if the society is still running or not, but all the persons I knew where devoted members. Only one rotten aple can infect all other fruits in the basket. The Lord always help those who ask for help in prayer, so also Prosper will receive help, as always. He has done it before.
Posted by: Frederic de St George at May 5, 2007 03:08 PM
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