Burundi

Our representative in Burundi, Pierre, reports that World In Need is now sponsoring five children within the country, helping them with their daily needs, as well as school fees and the cost of school supplies. Pierre hopes in the coming year to increase the number of children we can help.

Like its neighbours, Rwanda and the Congo, Burundi has been in turmoil for much of the last few years. Civil war, tribal tensions and military coups made life difficult and caused much suffering, as did HIV/AIDS, which is a huge problem here, as it is in many developing countries.

World In Need is helping in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Burundi. Pierre has mobilised people, including church leaders, to help with a campaign for the prevention of the virus in rural areas of the country. In addition, he is helping twenty people who have become infected, ensuring they have enough to eat and that their lives are made as good as they can be. He also works to provide them with counselling.

Another big killer in Burundi - indeed in all of East Africa, is Malaria, and Pierre is working on programmes for prevention of this disease.