Connecting lives around the world

With our help, SCIAF works in 16 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, including Burundi, India and Nicaragua.

B u r u n d i i s a s m a l l l a n d l o c k e d c o u n t r y r i g h t i n t h e h e a r t o f A f r i c a, b u t i t h a s b e e n f o r g o t t e n a b o u t b y t h e r e s t o f t h e w o r l d. B u r u n d i i s r o u g h l y o n e - t h i r d t h e s i z e o f S c o t l a n d w i t h a p o p u l a t i o n o f n e a r l y 1 0 m i l l i o n p e o p l e.

What do you think life is like for people in Burundi?

Burundi - facts and figures Population: 9,863,117 Size: 27,816 sq km Capital: Bujumbura Life Expectancy: 50.1 years Poverty Ranking: 174 th poorest country in the world. Literacy Rate: 59.3% Language: Kirundi, French (official) Religion: Christian, Muslim, indigenous Currency: Burundian franc Main exports: coffee, tea, sugar and cotton.

BIG ISSUES - CONFLICT & PEACEBUILDING Burundi has gone through years of conflict and suffering. In the early 1990s more than 300,000 were killed during violence. Many more people fled their homes and sought refuge in other parts of the country or in other neighbouring countries. Burundi has not had the same international help or attention that other countries have had, like Rwanda. In recent years progress has been made towards building a more peaceful Burundi.

Meet Seraphine (wearing pink) and Kwizera (wearing blue) – two of our global neighbours. In Burundi, land is incredibly valuable. If you have land you have the chance to grow food to eat and sell. It’s not surprising then that land can be a big source of conflict in Burundi. Seraphine and Kwizera believed that they both owned the same piece of land and had the right to use it for farming. The two women and their families argued and their conflict was close to becoming violent.

Then one of SCIAF’s Burundi partner organisations – called Nduwamahoro* - got involved. Nduwamahoro worked with both women to help them solve their dispute through getting them involved in listening and problem solving activities. Both women and their families now share the land. Seraphine and Kwizera have become good friends and are now members of Nduwamahoro and help other people to disputes over land. *pronounced In-du-wam-a-hor-o

In Burundi SCIAF also supports the work of Agakura which runs an agricultural training school for young people - teaching them how to increase the quality and quantity of what they produce from their land. Speciose (pictured) is very grateful for the difference Agakura has made in her life. Speciose first came to Agakura when she was young and had no money or education, having had to leave school when war started. Speciose has now graduated from Agakura, and because of what she learnt, is able to produce enough to feed her children.

Rearing animals – pigs, sheep, cows, chickens Forestry, trees, saplings Agricltural skills – producing fruit and vegetables Food processing – jams, peanut butter, juices etc T h e w o r k o f A g a k u r a … Training and accommodation O r g a n i c c o m p o s t i n g Peacebuilding S u s t a i n a b l e a p p r o a c h B l a c k s m i t h t r a i n i n g c e n t r e

SCIAF partner organisation: Agakura Project Number: BUR 009 Location: Central Burundi Amount Needed (each year): £53,550 £500 supplies 100 fruit trees £1,000 buys a cow for a family £2,000 sets up organic composting systems

Lord Jesus, We ask you to care for and support those who are suffering because of war and conflict. We particularly think today of people in Burundi. We ask for you to be with all those involved in the Agakura project. Teach us all to be peacebuilders in our school, our community and in our world. Remind us that our lives are connected with our brothers and sisters in Burundi and right across the world. Amen

To find out more >>

SCIAF 19 Park Circus, Glasgow G3 6BE Tel: Web: SCIAF is the official international aid agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland. It is also Scotland’s leading aid agency. SCIAF responds to emergencies around the world and supports partners in 16 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. SCIAF also campaigns for a more just world. SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) is a company limited by guarantee. Company No Recognised by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and by the Inland Revenue as a charity. Charity No. SCO12302 Photo credits: Sean Sprague