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Burundi consistently ranks among the world’s most food insecure nation with more than 70% of its population living in poverty. Plant With Purpose helps fight hunger in Burundi by investing in its people.

The long-lasting effects of war and poverty in Burundi have especially impacted women and children. Women are the leaders of many households, and these households are fragile due to a lack of resources. Nine out of ten Burundians depend on agriculture for their livelihood, yet their limited farmland is devastated by deforestation, drought, war, and over-farming.

Plant With Purpose in Burundi 

Plant With Purpose has partnered with communities in Burundi since 2008. Our work in Burundi is built on local knowledge and leaders in the community.

Restoring Hope and Dignity

We partner with local churches that actively disciple community members and address community needs. Farmers of all ethnic backgrounds are collaborating to plant seeds of peace and reconciliation through Plant With Purpose. Churches are empowering community members and raising local leaders. As food security increases, we are witnessing spiritual revival restore hope and dignity.

Partners for advancement in Burundi

In September 2020, Plant With Purpose launched a pilot partnership with HOPE International in Burundi. Plant With Purpose will train 1,850 farmers who are members of HOPE’s local savings groups in regenerative agriculture. The partnership focuses on collaborative program implementation, innovation, research, and evaluation for shared learning and impact. It’s too early to know the results, but we are hearing and seeing signs of lives changing.

Expand the Work in Burundi

Key Stats

8
Program Watersheds
816
Savings Groups
19,301
Participating Families
115,999
People
184
Church Partnerships
8,615,842
Trees Planted
Download the Program Fact Sheet

Meet Some of Our Partners from Burundi

Select an image to learn more.

Virginie Supports her Husband in Exile

Virginie Supports her Husband in Exile

Virginie is a farmer and the mother of six children. In 2017, her husband went into exile in Tanzania, and she became the head of the household. “I was so poor that even our children's school fees, firewood, and daily rations were a big problem. … It was in 2019 that I decided to join the Purpose Group organized by Plant With Purpose which has now become a second family.” Through her Purpose Group activities, Virginie was able to purchase livestock and increase food production so much that her children are able to eat three times a day instead of only once like before. When her husband in exile fell ill, she was able to send money for his medicine. Today, Viriginie is truly a pillar in her household and community. She helps her neighbors who are in conflict and plans to start a small business selling improved stoves.

Meet new Purpose Group participant, Ella

Meet new Purpose Group participant, Ella

Ella lives with her husband in the Siguvyaye I watershed, where Plant With Purpose began work in fiscal year 2022. Ella has been a Purpose Group member since August 2021. She shares her experience less than six month into our partnership: “These training sessions led me to change my cultivation methods to prioritize environmental restoration and generational health. I decided to make compost using leftover crops, kitchen scraps, and manure from the barn. I planted different varieties of agroforestry trees during this silvicultural season and finally saw an increase in soil fertility and conservation. … With only this short time spent with Plant With Purpose, I am completely changed. My perspective now is directed towards bodily and spiritual self-development. I have learned to finally serve as a role model in my family and to those around me.”

Ernest, a partner through HOPE, transforms his agricultural land and his life

Ernest, a partner through HOPE, transforms his agricultural land and his life

Ernest has been a member of a savings group through HOPE International for eleven years. Through this group, he and his wife received “loans to buy agricultural fields and begin a small business. However, agricultural production remained low and undiversified.” In 2021, with the support of Plant With Purpose, agroecology training was introduced to Ernest’s savings group, and he was selected as the local facilitator. “Although I was considered a modern farmer in the community, I learned a lot of things that I did not know before. … Learning about the importance of agroforestry and native trees in restoring soil fertility prompted me to buy an unfertilized field. I plan to plant various species of agroforestry trees there to restore soil fertility to that of a natural forest. After a few years, I will plant crops in expectation that the fertility of this field will be restored due to the integration of trees.” Today, Ernest no longer has to buy vegetables at the market to eat, and he has the knowledge to expand his productive agricultural lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 2008, we started working in various parts of Burundi. Currently we work in some of the most rural areas of Burundi in four different provinces with plans to expand our program to new areas. Burundi is one of the poorest and most food insecure countries in the world. Heavy deforestation over the past few decades resulted in more families living in conditions of poverty.
Yes, it is relatively safe for our team in Burundi to work. The local leadership plays a key role in keeping a pulse on the security situation. They also maintain protocols to (if needed) navigate uncertain and/or unstable periods of time.
We begin our work in the most rural areas where families depend on the land for survival. These are the areas where our Watershed Model is proven to be the most effective. Families in these rural areas have the skills and abilities to improve their conditions and work with their community to develop a better way of life.
READ MORE FAQs

Our Global Impact

Thailand

  • 63 Purpose Groups
  • 3,545 People Served
  • 69 Church Partnerships
  • 2,803,997 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Thailand

    Tanzania

  • 533 Purpose Groups
  • 61,618 People Served
  • 317 Church Partnerships
  • 17,739,068 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Tanzania

    Mexico

  • 304 Purpose Groups
  • 17,777 People Served
  • 104 Church Partnerships
  • 1,191,044 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Mexico

    Haiti

  • 605 Purpose Groups
  • 84,336 People Served
  • 127 Church Partnerships
  • 6,433,828 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Haiti

    Ethiopia

  • 485 Purpose Groups
  • 47,920 People Served
  • 92 Church Partnerships
  • 2,940,590 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Ethiopia

    Dominican Republic

  • 338 Purpose Groups
  • 39,590 People Served
  • 178 Church Partnerships
  • 18,651,102 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Dominican Republic

    Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • 369 Purpose Groups
  • 89,384 People Served
  • 127 Church Partnerships
  • 4,371,540 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in the DRC

    Burundi

  • 816 Purpose Groups
  • 115,999 People Served
  • 184 Church Partnerships
  • 8,615,842 Trees Planted
  • More about our work in Burundi

    USA

    Our Global Headquarters:
    4747 Morena Blvd., Suite 100,
    San Diego, CA 92117

    858.274.3718
    [email protected]

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