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In the tiny African country of Burundi, keep-fit classes are like medicine to a nation for decades divided by violence.

Since Burundi achieved independence from Belgium in 1962, it's experienced repeated cycles of violence between its Hutu and Tutsi communities.

Although all is currently calm, the country's economically insecure, with a weak health care system and no systems of government support.

These group exercise clubs play a vital role.

At The Beach Club Solidarity, established in 2004, numbers are now thriving, though attendance has tended to fall during times of crisis.

According to its founder, Hussein Sinangwa, the club's a point of contact for people.

Burundi's population of 12 million includes a mixture of different faiths and ethnic groups, but in the exercise clubs everyone belongs to one family.

Attendance costs the equivalent of 10 US cents, which is affordable even in one of the world's poorest countries.

Sheilla's a regular at the club.

Attendees can donate an additional sum to the trainer, in order to support club members in need of extra cash for unexpected events, like illness, family emergencies or deaths.

The classes bring a sense of equality, and also of solidarity.

This makes people feel that, whatever they have to tackle either inside or outside the club, they're in it together.

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