Burundi
Burundi is a small country situated in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa that has a history of ethnic unrest between its two main tribes: the minority Tutsis and majority Hutus
This mountainous and landlocked country has seen several years of conflict following its independence from Belgium in 1962.Frequent changes in power were accompanied by widespread violence. In 1993, the first democratically elected president was assassinated and within months, the new president was also killed (alongside the president of neighbouring Rwanda). Seven years of civil war followed in Burundi until 2000.
Currently, peace remains fragile, and Burundi’s people – Hutu, Tutsi and Twa - struggle against desperate poverty.
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| Stopping Violence Against Girls and Women Despite the end of the war when rape and sexual violence were widespread, girls and women continue to suffer as society remains silent in the face of sexual violence.
Victims of sexual violence: • are often blamed for the crime.
• feel too ashamed to tell anyone.
• may demonstrate behavioural problems due to lack of appropriate adult guidance.
• are more vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse, property and land grabbing and labour exploitation. • are reluctant to report the violence to authorities for fear they won’t be taken seriously.
World Vision is working to :
• influence how society values girls and women.
• empower women to become more socially and economically productive.
• help girls and women report sexual violence to authorities and their communities.
• create awareness with the media and other influencers to denounce all cases of violence, sexual abuse and injustice against girls and women. |
A hungry nation
Burundi has very high levels of hunger, based on how much food is available in the country, the amount of nutritious food children eat, and the number of people who die from hunger.
Very densely populated, there are few towns in this country: most people live in rural areas and rely on food they can grow. Extreme pressure on land, unreliable rainfall and a lack of improved farming techniques mean people struggle to grow enough food.
The years of conflict destroyed infrastructure such as roads, schools and homes, and damaged livelihoods, leaving people with few options to provide for their families. World Vision in Burundi
World Vision began providing short-term help to communities in Burundi in 1963. Through the 70s and 80s, World Vision vaccinated children, provided medicines, and taught women skills in agriculture, nutrition, and small business activities. In response to civil unrest in the 1990s, World Vision expanded its work with emergency relief activities, helping people in desperate need with food, building materials and equipment to rebuild their homes, and seeds, planting materials and training to grow crops. Orphaned children received emergency supplies and school materials.
World Vision is now helping two million people in activities transitioning from emergency relief and recovery to longer-term development activities. World Vision is:
• bringing health services to 800,000 people through mobile clinics, and the training of community health workers and traditional birth attendants.
• helping communities increase access to food, teaching farmers improved techniques and providing drought-resistant and fast-maturing crop varieties.
• encouraging school enrolment, particularly of girls, and helping children stay in school by providing school meals and books to the most vulnerable. World Vision also supports vocational training to help families increase their income, enabling them to pay school fees.
• providing care for orphans and vulnerable children.
• providing home care kits to people living with HIV/AIDS, which include soap, clothing, towels and medicine; training local people in how to care for people living with HIV/AIDS, as well as in preventing the disease.
• working with other organisations to bring Christ-centered healing, peace and reconciliation through training, drama, testimonies, and music.
• providing short-term emergency food for the most vulnerable through targeted feeding, school feeding and food for work programmes.
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