From terraced hills to the heart of Bujumbura, children carry both the memory of conflict and the courage to begin again. We back the neighbors turning that courage into meals, mentoring, and classrooms that feel like home.
Over 65% of Burundians live in poverty, and many children suffer from hunger and malnutrition. Daily meals are uncertain, and many families depend on subsistence farming that’s vulnerable to drought and crop failure.
Generations of children have grown up amid displacement, civil unrest, or the legacy of violence. Emotional trauma is common, yet mental health support remains nearly nonexistent in schools and communities.
While enrollment in primary school is high, schools are often overcrowded, underfunded, and lack trained teachers. Rural children — especially girls — face long walks to school and pressure to drop out early.
Across rural hills, community kitchens and care centers make sure children aren’t facing hunger and homework alone. Caregivers — most of them local women — serve warm meals, check on health, and keep an eye on school progress with the tenderness of aunties and the rigor of nurses. Kids learn farming basics and hygiene that protect them long after they leave the table. The promise is simple: you will be seen, fed, and guided. For children who’ve lost a parent, that steadiness is everything — a reason to show up, a reason to believe tomorrow can be kinder than yesterday.
Born from hardship, Maison Shalom gives children the tools to turn pain into possibility. Story circles and art classes help them name what happened and imagine what’s next. School support — supplies, uniforms, meals — keeps attendance strong while mentors model safety and respect. Healing here isn’t quiet; it’s creative, communal, and proud. Each drawing pinned to a wall, each poem read aloud, is a declaration that a child’s future is bigger than their past.
Villages organized themselves into a rhythm of firewood, shared pots, and early morning prep so kids could eat before lessons. Farmers donated beans and maize; volunteers stirred porridge as the sun rose. Attendance climbed because hunger stopped stealing attention, and classrooms felt brighter — not just from full bellies, but from the dignity of being cared for. The drive proved what communities already know: even in scarcity, generosity multiplies.
Every Saturday, a quiet room opens and kids gather to listen, draw, write, and share. Some talk about missing parents; others sketch houses they hope to live in one day. Facilitators don’t rush the silence; they wait until courage arrives. Week by week, stories grow louder and smiles return. The circle is small, but its impact travels — into homes, into classrooms, into a child’s sense that they are not alone.
Builds gravity-fed clean water systems in rural Burundi to improve health, create economic opportunities, and alleviate poverty.
Focuses on empowering vulnerable children and youth through education, advocacy, and support services.
Provides clean water, sanitation, food assistance, and emergency response in crisis-affected areas.
Offers leadership-based education and scholarships to rebuild post-conflict Burundi through civic empowerment.
