CHRF Report: Exciting Developments in Burundi!

CHRF pledges to provide 55,000 meals in the next school year in Burundi! Although the country of Burundi is little known or little talked about by most people, it’s a country that is in great need, but also one that promises great potential. Sadly, according to UNICEF, Burundi has a severe rate of chronic malnutrition at 58% for children under the age of 5.

As you may know malnutrition can cause severe and irreversible brain damage, impedes physical growth and, in many cases, causes death. For all of these reasons and more CHRF has been extremely proud to work for years with our partners on the ground in Burundi who are dedicating their work and their lives to do everything they can for these children. Their goal is to not only feed these children but to educate them so that they can change their destiny and future, as our partners say their focus is to “allow children to focus on their studies, rather than their stomachs.”

Even though children frequently come to their program when they are severely malnourished, after receiving a healthy diet with milk, eggs, bread, rice, beans, peas, potatoes, fish, vegetables and porridge their lives are soon changed for the better, one meal at a time. Our partners report that “The children look forward to every meal. They are healthier, livelier and active compared to the rest of the children in the village.” But perhaps most incredible of all is how little it costs to help these poor suffering children who have been rescued from the jaws of death. Would you believe the cost for a meal in Burundi for these children is just 21 cents!? 21 Cents! That’s about a stick of gum here in the United States!

CHRF has pledged over 55,000 meals for the next school year for these children who have been rescued from malnutrition and now are working hard on their education! But our partners in Burundi still need more help to reach their total goal of providing 118,000 this next year. Although it seems like a lot just think that $10 can help provide over 45 more meals! Or $100 can help provide over 450 more meals towards their goal! But that’s not all CHRF and our partners are doing for these children and the local community of 750 families in their village. We will also be building a new solar pump well that can provide water for everyone in the village daily (over 3,000 children)!

This village currently has very limited access to clean water or safe water. Our partners report, “The impact of the situation is dire. Water related diseases are rife and child deaths are terribly high.”  

“Illnesses caused by drinking dirty water are some of the additional factors causing our children under 5 years old to die,” write our partners. “The time spent by parents to collect clean water is keeping them from working or farming. Children are often fetched to walk miles to find clean water which means they have no time for school.”

Now for the great news, not only will CHRF help provide over 55,000 meals this year but we also hope to help our partners achieve their goal of providing the community with over 23,000,000 (twenty-three million) cups of clean water for the first year after the well is built! Even more great news is that the well will be guaranteed for 10 years!

Together, with the help of our donors and partners we have achieved so much in Burundi! But there is still more to do! Our partners still need a little over $10,000 in funds in order to meet their financial needs to provide all of their children receiving an education with a meal for next school year.

Please join CHRF and our partners as we pray that God will bless these beautiful children who were rescued from poverty and malnutrition as well as their school and teachers who have dedicated themselves to helping these children!