Thirteen years of civil war has uprooted and scattered 530,000 Burundians.  Burundi ranks 169th on the Human Development Index of 177 ranked countries.  One in five of Burundi’s children die before they reach the age of 5.  And adult life expectancy is just 51 years. 

Rebuilding
Yet against this backdrop of despair, Christians and indigenous churches equipped by World Relief are playing a pivotal role in Burundi’s recovery.

Launched in 2004, World Relief Burundi’s community rehabilitation program focuses on rebuilding lives and strengthening communities in the war-torn Nyanza Lac region.  This project has built more than 1,100 homes, distributed food and seeds to 4,400 vulnerable households and distributed farming equipment to 4,000 families.  Since 2004, we have helped 21,000 people.

Our microfinance program, Turame, extends business loans to 3,500 individuals in Gitega and Bujumbura provinces.  It was judged by the United Nations to be the best microfinance operation in the country.  We are working to integrate peace-building initiatives and AIDS education into the program.

World Relief’s train-the-trainer approach has empowered nearly 2,000 pastors, women and youth leaders to educate their congregations about HIV/AIDS, while fostering the biblical values of premarital abstinence, marital fidelity, and compassionate care.