Building resilience in Burundi: enhancing nutrition, creating jobs, and adapting to climate change

Since 2001, AVSI has been committed to supporting vulnerable children and families in Burundi, focusing on the Bujumbura City, Kayanza, and Ngozi areas.

Today, our projects strengthen resilience and foster development by empowering youth and women in key sectors such as agriculture, food security, energy, human rights, job creation, nutrition, and education.

Burundi is a landlocked country in East Africa, with a low-income economy and 80% of its population working in agriculture. It is one of the poorest countries in the world, with almost 85% of its population living below the poverty line according to the Global Conflict Risk Index (GCRI). With 13.2 million inhabitants (2023), 50.6% of whom are women and 41.5% of whom are under 15, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with 442 inhabitants/km2. 

The cyclical socio-political conflicts that have affected the country since independence in 1962 have seriously hampered its development. These effects are still being felt today. The shortage of fuel and other basic necessities, followed by galloping inflation, is exacerbating the situation. 

The adverse consequences of climate change are also being felt. Torrential rains, flooding due to the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika, and landslides have all caused a great deal of damage, resulting in the displacement of populations and increased vulnerability. 

According to UNHCR statistics, due to the great lakes regional dynamics conflicts, more than 240,000 Burundian refugees have been gradually returning from neighboring countries (Tanzania, Rwanda, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda) since 2017. Welcoming these refugees with dignity poses a challenge for the densely populated country, as competition for resources, particularly land, can lead to tensions, as seen in past instances of refugee return. 

As agriculture forms the backbone of the Burundian economy, AVSI is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in various value chains, including banana, honey, and mushrooms, in the provinces of Kayanza, Ngozi, and Bujumbura City. These entrepreneurs receive training to enhance their agricultural practices and financial and management skills. AVSI also facilitates connections to credit agents and provides networking opportunities to help them succeed. 

AVSI has implemented two innovative initiatives to boost employment in Burundi. The first focuses on the tomato value chain, utilizing a multi-stakeholder approach that includes the private sector.  This initiative has started in July 2021 and has trained over 900 youth in the tomato value chain in three years in the Bujumbura and Bubanza provinces.

The second initiative is designed to enhance water quality in the Lake Tanganyika basin by implementing sustainable and inclusive economic practices grounded in the principles of the circular economy. This involves educating and empowering policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society about the potential benefits of the circular economy and developing adaptable models tailored to diverse contexts. The initiative will also establish a robust support system for the private sector within the circular economy, offering technical, managerial, financial, incubation, and coaching resources. This support aims to boost the sector's ability to effectively transform waste into valuable resources, resulting in positive outcomes for the lake's environment, the broader society, and the regional economy. 

In the provinces of Kayanza and Ngozi, where Global Acute Malnutririon (GAM) rates were 9%, AVSI is actively working to improve the nutritional status of families through a participatory, multi-stakeholder approach. AVSI conducts regular community screenings to identify severe malnutrition cases and refer them to nearby health facilities. For acute cases, AVSI mobilizes and trains "Maman Lumières", role model mothers who educate households on healthy diets using locally available foods. Additionally, AVSI distributes nutritious processed local products to vulnerable families. AVSI interventions (2018-2022) have led to a gradual reduction in malnutrition rates, at the end of the project at 7th screening, these rates varied between 2% and 3%. 

Since September 2023, AVSI has been assisting the reintegration of Burundian refugees returning from neighboring countries in seven provinces across Burundi. AVSI’s support for returnees centers around two main pillars: job creation and economic empowerment and combating gender-based violence. 

To promote economic empowerment, AVSI offers training programs, facilitates the formation of savings groups, and distributes start-up kits to help returnees establish sustainable livelihoods. In the efforts to combat gender-based violence, AVSI focuses on community awareness initiatives, women and young adolescents' empowerment, and reinforcement of the referral systems for addressing cases of abuse. Burundian women returnees are highly vulnerable to gender-based violence due to economic instability, social isolation, and the reinforcement of patriarchal norms. Their challenges are compounded by trauma from displacement, weak legal protections, and limited access to support services. These factors create a complex environment where women face heightened risks of exploitation and abuse as they struggle to rebuild their lives.  

Over the years, AVSI's programs in Burundi have consistently prioritized the inclusion of women, striving to ensure that at least 50% of participants in each initiative are female.  

In some cases, AVSI’s projects are entirely focused on women, recognizing the unique challenges they face in Burundian society. Women in Burundi often encounter barriers to education and face difficulties in land ownership, employment opportunities, and access to credit due to prevailing social and cultural norms that favor men. By actively involving women and their family members in the programs, AVSI aims to address these inequalities, providing women with the tools and resources necessary to overcome these obstacles and improve their socioeconomic status. 

Since July 2021, AVSI has promoted improved cook stoves sustainable market in all the 18 provinces of Burundi.  

The “BIIKIGITI”cooking stoves promoted by AVSI at the community level save 30% charcoal and 50% firewood compared with traditional stoves, thereby helping to protect the environment. Between July 2021 and April 2024, 151,548 BIIKIGITI stoves were sold in Burundi.  

AVSI's strategy goes beyond just selling and marketing improved cookstoves; it also includes their production using local materials. AVSI trains and equips selected community members in the production process, thereby creating job opportunities. 

Less than 10% of Burundians have access to electricity, with this number dropping to only 2% in rural areas, severely affecting rural development and quality of services for most of the population. 

Since 2020 with funding from the European Union, AVSI has installed solar panels in 25 schools and seven health centers in rural communities of Ngozi and Kayanza. Access to electricity is essential for schools and health centers as it significantly improves the quality of services they provide, positively impacting people's lives. 

Leveraging on the availability of renewable energy equipment, AVSI has also facilitated access to clean water supply through two solar-powered pumps for two health centers and setting up water kiosk for over 10.000 people.    

Lastly, rural households were supported in accessing basic solar systems through a market-based approach that involved establishing partnerships with key solar distributors and providing demand-side subsidies to last mile customers. More than 4,400 solar products were sold in rural areas with the support of the Umuco W’Iterambere project.

The Distance Support Program started in Burundi in 2001, and up to 2024 AVSI supported a total of 1,337 children and their families.  

This has been the first program implemented by AVSI in Burundi to respond to the basic needs of people affected by the political crisis caused by the 1993 civil war. The initial interventions  carried out in early 2000s due to the instability of the country focused on emergency response and educational support, initially targeting children and families in Bujumbura City Council and the provinces of Kayanza and Ngozi.  

In 2002, thanks to the support of the Comunità Biellese Aiuti Umanitari (CBAU) AVSI opened the Mother-Child and Orphan Center (MEO) in Cibitoke area, in the north of Bujumbura City. The center was opened with the aim of creating a supportive and protective environment for children, orphans and vulnerable young people. 

AVSI Burundi’s Distance support program aims primarily to ensure access to quality education for children by providing them with uniforms and school kits at the beginning of each year. The MEO Center is the core of the program because it is the place where most activities are carried out, including: remedial classes and school reinforcement at the library, counselling and psychological support desk, nutritional support through the canteen for malnourished children, recreational activities and dance and traditional music workshops.

Parents of supported children also participate in activities organized by AVSI at the Centre such as meetings about children’s rights and positive parenting, the importance of personal hygiene, healthy diet through gardening. Some parents also join AVSI-supervised savings and credit groups (called CECI) to help them start small income generating businesses and save money to meet their needs. 

The MEO Centre continues to strengthen its presence in the area and represents an important reference point for the community thanks to the support of private Italian donors. The interventions are currently targeting 315 children and their families but the Centre is always open to all and welcomes children and parents, even if they are not part of the Distance Support Program.