Burundi

Thanks to a grant from Wereld Noold Hulp, WER is supporting a dairy programme in Ryarusera, Burundi that is providing milk and income to villagers, boosting the local economy and providing milk to a nearby WER supported orphanage.

St. Mary’s Church in Reigate, through WER, has allocated a £40,000 grant  in order to expand the health service provisions at Gitega health clinic, Burundi

Due to extreme poverty, people in Burundi are far more susceptible to illnesses that could be easily prevented with the right resources and infrastructure.

Many Congolese people have been forced to flee their home country because of the war and are now refugees in neighbouring countries, such as Rwanda and Burundi. In August 2004, a refugee camp in Gatumba, Burundi, was attacked by armed militia.

Many children were orphaned in the massacre. Some of the orphans were taken in by host families but, faced with severe socio-economic problems, many of these families are no longer able to ensure the children’s survival.

The Batwa are an indigenous minority group in Burundi and across central Africa. These people live in some of the very poorest communities in the region.

Conflict in Burundi and its neighbouring countries has also severely impacted the Batwa who are no longer able to move around the region in line with their established culture.

Founded initially in 1995 following the genocide as an Emergency Baby Care Centre, the project cares for 50 of these children who are growing up within the family units of the CRIB (Children Rescued In Burundi) Orphanage.

The children from CRIB attend The King’s School which was founded specifically to provide quality education for all the orphans. The school now also draws children from the local community who wish to benefit from the excellent teaching and facilities provided at the school.

Only 57% of primary school-age children in Burundi are enrolled in education. Many of those who do not have the opportunity of going to school are girls.

The Himbaza School welcomes children from the poorest areas of Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. 607 children attend the school, including 40 children from exceptionally poor backgrounds who have been given bursaries to enable them to go to school and have the chance of an education.

This is a unique care and counselling project which provides practical and emotional support to people living with HIV/AIDS. A series of clinics across Burundi offer education, advice and home visits, as well as medical costs for secondary illnesses, to anybody who has HIV/AIDS and who wishes to attend a healthcare clinic.