Burundi
Discover real-world stories of communities overcoming poverty and deforestation! Plant With Purpose, a Christian non-profit, shares examples of environmental sustainability and stewardship from all around the world. These stories show us how faith, resilience, and sustainable practices transform people’s lives as well as their environment. As rural families overcome poverty and heal the planet, embrace empowerment, renewal, and hope.

Burundi
Severin: "My production of beans and corn have almost tripled"
Severin is the president of his Purpose Group located in the Nyakijanda watershed of Burundi. He is a 60 year old Burundi farmer who has accomplished a lot, applying innovation to his work on the farm. “I am so delighted to be a member of my Purpose Group in Burundi,” he introduces himself. “I am […]
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About Our Work, blog, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mexico, Our Response, Tanzania, Thailand
In the voices of our partners
One of the more complex nuances of working across different countries and cultures is storytelling and communication. When done poorly, organizations run several risks: from dehumanizing the people they seek to help to diminishing the role local actors play in advancing progress. In this post, CEO Scott Sabin shares how to allow our partners to […]
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Burundi, Photo Essays
Things you'll see on a visit to Burundi
Burundi isn't a frequently visited country. For starters, it is rather small, comparable in size to Rwanda, Lesotho, or Eswatini. It is also a very rural country with 85% of its residents living in remote areas that have limited infrastructure. While it boasts compelling landscapes and rich traditions, conflict has also inhibited tourism in Burundi. […]
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About Our Work, blog, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, Thailand
LET THE LOCALS LEAD
While having country-based leadership in all of our programs is important, we take it a step further and the advantage of local leadership is undeniable. The importance of having local ownership over our mission and program activities has been emphasized at Plant With Purpose from the very beginning. Back in 1984, Plant With Purpose was […]
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About Our Work, Burundi, Climate Change, Haiti
Amazing Ways to Help Protect the Natural World
Create abundance for both people and planet It isn’t rare to hear stories of environmental loss and damage. From wildfires to drought to mass deforestation and pollution, so many of our beloved places on Earth are under constant threat. How can we help protect the natural world? These threats are real and urgent, but what […]
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Burundi
What does spiritual renewal look like? Here’s a Burundian example.
Here at Plant With Purpose, our vision is to create lasting, holistic transformation in rural communities experiencing poverty and environmental degradation... and we believe that spiritual renewal plays a big part in this. As an environmental organization working through the lens of Christian faith, we believe that our efforts against poverty, climate change, and deforestation […]
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All, Burundi
Knowledge Empowers
Empowerment often takes the form of learning When it comes to community development, you can give away food. You can give clothing. You can give scholarships, or water, or trees. These are all things that are all deeply needed in many parts of the world, and there are many times when giving directly to address […]
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All, Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania
A Village Homecoming
Displacement affects about 10.7 Million people in Africa Displacement refers to somebody who has left their home due to force or a lack of safety, in most cases, conflict. This term differs from refugee status, since refugees are technically defined by crossing a national border. When regional conflicts came to the area of Dushirwe, many […]
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All, Burundi
Not Just Fruit, but a Future
Finding Hope and a Future In a country long ridden with war and conflict, people are looking for change and hope. Due to this, communities in Burundi have come together to promote peace, growth, and empowerment. Many of these communities have partnered with Plant With Purpose. Now one of our partnering communities, the Muvumu community […]
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All, Burundi
Why animals? Talk to Come
Owning Livestock is an important step. Animals support rural farmers with nutrients and stability. In Burundi, many live in rural communities and farm for their livelihood. Most grow crops, but few have animals. When families begin owning livestock, their lives change. Owning livestock acts as a safeguard for farming families. Farmers often lack nutrients from […]
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All, Burundi, Updates
What would people think of me if they knew I was in an armed group?
Sometimes people go to war. But in some cases, war comes for people. Africa’s Great Lakes Region is no stranger to conflict. Its past few decades have seen attempts at ethnic cleansing, the conscription of child soldiers, and tribes turning against tribes. The natural beauty of the area contrasts alarmingly with moments of brutality. When […]
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All, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Haiti, Mexico, Our Response, Tanzania, Thailand
Economic Empowerment
Plant With Purpose invests heavily in savings groups, equipping families with tools needed to manage personal finances, access loans when needed, and save. This pays off. The average Plant With Purpose family is over twice as likely to save. On average, these participants have enough emergency savings to last over two months. Compare this with […]
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All, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Haiti, Mexico, Our Response, Tanzania, Thailand
Sustainable Agriculture
In 2017, over 39 million people were food insecure, mostly due to environmental damage and natural disasters. Crops, trees, and animals are the top sources of income for rural families that rely on the land for a living. Plant With Purpose sustainable agriculture programs help families living in vulnerable areas improve the quality of their […]
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All, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Haiti, Mexico, Our Response, Tanzania, Thailand
Tree Planting & Reforestation
Trees are vital, but half of the world’s tropical forests have already disappeared. At the rate we’re going, there will be no more rainforests in under a century. But we have hope. Plant With Purpose is reversing this trend. While the earth loses forest cover, participating communities gain vegetation cover. To date, Plant With Purpose […]
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