THE CHALLENGE

Burundi is one of the 5 poorest countries in the world, with 65% of Burundians living below the poverty line, many of them in rural areas. Food insecurity is alarmingly high, afflicting almost 1 of every 2 households: as many as 58 percent of Burundian people are chronically malnourished. 

Despite a paucity of arable land, 90% of individuals seek employment in the agricultural sector, which results in high unemployment rates, particularly among young women, who are traditionally the most vulnerable group in this society. Furthermore, girls in Burundi, especially from underprivileged communities, have very limited access to educational opportunities, with a tiny fraction of young women completing secondary education and pursuing higher education or vocational training

The SOLUTIONS WE'RE PROPOSING

W4, in partnership with our local field partner, IPSDI Burundi and WEI (Women's Economic Imperative), is working to enable vulnerable young women in the Muzinda commune, within the Bubanza province, to benefit from an innovative agro-business education in a safe and secure environment. The project provides young Burundian women with the opportunity to nurture their talents and acquire new skills, techniques and qualifications that will allow them to transform their lives, their communities and, potentially, their country.

The young women in the program benefit from a specialized education in food technology, with additional courses in entrepreneurship, applied mathematics, IT, applied ecology, legislation for agri-food products and applied chemistry, among others. In addition, the project aims to put in place a women’s microfinance program to offer credit to individuals and women’s cooperatives, giving priority to those students at the school who aim to start their own agro-enterprises. The overall objective of the program is to give young women access to a quality education and to help ensure that they can acquire safe, decent employment opportunities in the formal employment sector or create their own small enterprises after receiving their diplomas.

THE IMPACT OF GIVING

Donate today to help equip the school library with crucial learning tools, such as computers and textbooks. By donating, you help ensure that young women in one of the poorest countries in the world can access quality education and have the opportunity to acquire the skills and qualifications they need to obtain employment or create their own enterprises.

Many of these young women will go on to develop their own agro-enterprises, equipped with the latest advances in technology, bringing value and employment opportunities to their local community, and also addressing the challenges of food security in their communities and country.

Thanks to this education program, these young women will become agents of change in their community, inspiring other girls and women to become economically empowered.