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Burundi,
with its population of 11.89 million (2020), is both one of the smallest countries in Africa
and one of the ten poorest countries in the world. Initially a kingdom, it was then ruled by Germany until the end of the first World War before becoming part of the Belgian colonial empire and eventually gaining independence in 1962. As with many of the newly emerging independent African nations, internal
politics were fraught and unstable. It
gained its first elected president in 1993, however within one hundred days that
president had been assassinated and a civil war, that was to last 12 years and
claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of Burundians, had been triggered. That civil war devastated the country's social and economic fabric leaving an
already impoverished country in 185th place
out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 when ranked in terms of life
expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards.
The war also created 100,000 internally displaced people within Burundi with a further 352,640 Burundi refugees living in Tanzania, 17,777 refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo
and 4400 in Rwanda, in addition to those who had fled further afield having fled due to fear of persecution and poverty in Burundi in search of food and work given the scarcity of both at home. The return of some since 2006 has also created problems with property and land
conflicts arising. In
order to survive, Burundi is now dependent on foreign aid, but even with that
aid, over half the children there under the age of five suffer from chronic
malnutrition.
Nearly half the population is aged fourteen years and under and
11% of all children in Burundi die at birth, with 19% dying before their fifth
birthday, one of the highest child mortality rates in the world mainly due to
malaria, diarrhoea, and pneumonia. More than 70 percent of the population live in poverty and food insecurity levels are running at an alarming rate with 52% of all children under the age of five stunted and there are even higher levels of malnutrition among rural communities (where, in 2019, 86% of the population live). In these rural areas, subsistence farming is the normal way of life, accounting for 90% of all agriculture however it leaves those reliant upon it without the resources to sustain themselves especially as the average farm size is about one acre leading to an inevitable deforestation, soil erosion and habitat loss.
Few children go to school in Burundi, particularly those of an age for
secondary education where figures are as low as 8% in some areas due to a lack
of qualified teachers and adequate supplies. Today, the children in Burundi face an uncertain future. With
poor infrastructure, a very poor level of healthcare, and
contagious diseases rife, the cycle needs to be broken. One of the major
problems facing children in Burundi is the lack of educational
facilities as many were damaged or destroyed in the civil war
and there are a lack of teachers. Cost is also a factor with
poor families having to choose between food and education. For more detaile dinformation about the country, check out out Burundi prodile pages below.
Burundi Profile: Child Sponsor Burundi
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Burundi Profile: Burundi Civil War
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Burundi Profile: Burundi Refugees
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Burundi Profile: Burundi Countryside
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Burundi Profile: Burundi Drumming
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Burundi Profile: Bora Bora Beach
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Burundi Profile: Bujumbura Profile
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