Burundi
Since the 1970s, the small eastern African country has experienced persistent political and social conflicts. Significantly, more than 300,000 people fell victim to the armed conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups in the 1990s.
A failed coup attempt in 2015 further worsened the political, social and economic situation of the country. In the wake of the crisis, hundereds of thousands have fled to the neighbouring countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda since 2015.
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More security for children and improved healthcare in Burundi
In collaboration with various local partner organisations, Malteser International has been supporting the people of Burundi in the areas of (mental) health, cholera prevention and child protection since January 2018.
Together with the local partner CNPK, we provide psychological and psychiatric care near the Tanzanian border, which is extremely important especially for returning refugees from Tanzania and other people who have been subjected to violence.
At the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in turn, we contribute, together with the Burundian Red Cross, towards the prevention of cholera by supplying people with clean water and carrying out prevention campaigns. In collaboration with our partner ADP, we dedicate ourselves to the medical care of disadvantaged groups.
Other victims of the crisis are the street children, whose number has significantly increased in recent years. In two homes of the Fondation Stamm funded by Malteser International, the children receive not only protection, but also comprehensive support and care.
Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Around 65 percent of the population live in poverty. In 2017 the country was ranked 184th out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index, the prosperity indicator of the United Nations. The healthcare system in large parts of the country has also collapsed. Added to this is the fact that, on account of political unrest and conflicts, a large number of people have had to experience violence and are urgently in need of psychological care, but access is inadequate. Since the middle of 2015, hundreds of thousands of refugees have moved to the neighbouring countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a result of the failed coup attempt.
Since the refugee camps in Tanzania are severely overcrowded, more and more refugees are returning to Burundi. In the provinces of Rutana, Makamba, and Muyinga, we support returnees and residents with psychological and psychiatric care.
At the same time, due to fighting in the region of South Kivu bordering Burundi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 8,200 Congolese refugees have come to Burundi – mostly via Lake Tanganyika. In the host provinces of Rumonge and Bubanza, we especially pursue the prevention of cholera and the improvement of medical care.
Street children are engaged in a daily struggle for survival in the big cities of Burundi. They are usually entirely at the mercy of violent and arbitrary behaviour. The crisis of 2015 caused the number of street children to increase significantly. As a result, we sponsor the admission of street children to two homes of Fondation Stamm in the former capital Bujumbura and in Ngozi, an urban centre in the hinterland.
Muyinga Province
- Ensuring increased and stable harvests of highly nutritious vegetables and staple foods to improve food security for families
Bujumbura Province
- Protection of street children in safe shelters with free medical care, psychosocial care and education as well as the reintegration of children and adolescents into their families or foster families
Province of Muyinga
- Support for smallholders through high-quality seeds and agricultural tools
- Training of smallholder groups through Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and facilitation of exchanges among farmers
- Support for income-generating activities such as the operation of maize and manioc mills, rice husking machines, etc
- Establishment of savings and credit groups
- Creation of a training course for agricultural technicians or veterinarians with affiliated college
Bujumbura
- Procurement of necessary equipment for the children's home in Bujumbura
- Payment of medical treatment costs
- Psychosocial support
- Vocational training
- Legal assistance
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Contact
Financial support:
Germany's Relief Coalition (Aktion Deutschland Hilft - ADH)
Partner:
Fondation Stamm (FS)
