SOS Children's Villages in Burundi

The socioeconomic situation that many children and their families faced in the 1970s required prompt and effective help. In 1979, SOS Children's Villages initiated its first programme on Burundian soil. Since attending school was not obligatory in Burundi, SOS Children's Village took the decision to support the future of the country's children by building appropriate education facilities.

At present, SOS Children's Village is supporting Burundian children in five different locations by providing day care, education, vocational training and medical assistance. The organisation aims to strengthen families in order to enable children who are at risk of losing parental care to grow up within their own family. Children who cannot be taken care of by their own family can find a loving home in one of the SOS families.

Childhoods tarnished by war and AIDS

610,000 children in Burundi are orphans. In addition to the high number of children who have been orphaned by AIDS, many more have been abandoned by their parents due to the precarious economic situation they face. As a result, Burundi is also home to thousands of homeless children who roam the streets either alone or in groups. In order to survive, …