Country Stats

  • Population: 12,744,359
  • Humanitarian assistance needed in 2019: 1.77 million
  • Maternal mortality rate: 740 deaths per 100,000 live births

Concern's Impact

  • Concern's work in Burundi: active since 1997
  • Implementation of new WASH activities: since late 2019
  • People reached during COVID-19 prevention: 163,000 people in April 2020
  • Families receiving cash transfers: 4,196 families in 2019

Our work in Burundi supports maternal and child health and builds livelihood opportunities, while our work in the country’s schools focuses on ending gender-based violence and encouraging gender equality.

Concern has worked in Burundi since 1997.

With high levels of poverty, malnutrition, and maternal mortality, Burundi’s poverty levels are intersected by several causes, and our current programs address some of these issues, including health and nutrition support, livelihood development, and access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

I am really thankful for the graduation program. You can see the progress that I have made and that I have graduated. I have achieved many things, now whatever I plan to buy, I buy it...I wish to continue my business so I can help my family get whatever they want.

Jeanne D'Arc Niyingabiye, Cibitoke

The maternal mortality rate in Burundi is one of the world’s worst, with 740 deaths per 100,000 live births. This makes the country one of the most dangerous places in the world to have a child.

Our work in Burundi focuses on maternal and child health, with a particular emphasis on improving nutrition and overall well-being. We specialize in community-based health and nutrition interventions, training community healthcare workers to screen for malnutrition and provide other support.

Latest Achievements

COVID-19 Response

We've reached over 29,000 of the families we work with on COVID-19 prevention and warning signs in the month of April 2020 alone. This work reached nearly 163,000 people.

Cash Transfers

Over the course of 2019, 4,196 families received cash transfers from Concern to support their recovery from emergency situations and businesses developed from the Graduation model.

New Locations

Since late 2019, Concern has begun implementing new WASH activities in Burundi, doubling the number of provinces where we work with new programs in Bujumbura Rural, Muyinga, and Rumonge.

Marie Therese Barampama, 41, checks on the calliandra and leucaena saplings she recently planted, along with her 15-month old daughter Charite. Marie Therese and members of her community at Mirama in Bugendana have taken part in Concern’s agro-forestry and community resilience program. As well as planting trees to reverse the effects of soil erosion, they have also dug drainage ditches and planted anti-erosion hedges on hillsides.Amida Tuyishimire with her school books and pens for the education she is now able to receive because of the Graduation Programme at her home in Bukinanyana, Cibitoke, Burundi.
Idrissa Nzoyisaba and Ghyslaine Iteriteka with books and pens provided by Concern Worldwide.Jeanne D’Arc Niyingabiye, a beneficiary of Concern's Graduation Program, with her SILK group in Burundi.
Euphemia Inina waters their market garden at her home in Mabayi, Cibitoke. As part of the Graduation Programme all participants are given seeds and training on how to grow food in their gardens.Mukankaka Seraphine with her youngest child at the family's home in southern Rwanda.

Our Work in Burundi

Our work to end poverty in Burundi is rooted in livelihoods development, health and nutrition, and education programming.

News & Features

Two Ethiopian women

Project Profile

Graduation

Even with a job, 8% of the world’s workforce still live in extreme poverty. For many families working towards economic stability, a health scare or a poor harvest may leave them unable to cope.

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