GPI Rank
Political Instability
Safety & Security
Ongoing Conflict
Bujumbura, Burundi
Cordaid has been working in Burundi since the mid 90’s. With an annual budget close to 4 million Euros, we chiefly work in the areas of health care and security & justice. More specifically, we focus on sexual & reproductive health, maternal & infantile health, results based financing in the health sector, addressing and countering gender based violence, reinforcing women leadership, strengthening of civil society organizations and lobbying & advocacy.
Read more about Cordaid in BurundiIn Burundi, Cordaid works at local, regional and national levels.
In the Mutaho Health District (Gitega province) we improve maternal and infantile health care. In Cibitoke, Makamba and Muyinga provinces we help preventing and raising awareness of sexual and gender based violence. With our project ‘Niche’, we reinforce the capacities of three universities in Burundi (Burundi, Ngozi and Hope), where we develop training curricula for medical students, specifically for gender issues and sexual and reproductive health. We improve sexual and reproductive health of youth and teenagers in the following provinces: Bururi, Cankuzo, Karusi, Makamba, Muramvya, Mwaro, Rumonge and Rutana. Finally, our nation wide Strategic Partnership program in Burundi aims to build strong civil society organisations, capable to advocate as a solid, durable network, and to engage in awareness raising and policy influencing.
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The political crisis of 2015 in Burundi, caused by the fact that the President of the Republic decided to run for a third unconstitutional mandate, is still not over. The ensuing political blockade pushed Western donors to establish strong sanctions, which increased the fragility of the economy, the lack of foreign exchange and the price of imported products. This situation further impoverishes an already poor population, in one of the most deprived countries of the world.
In Burundi Cordaid is active in the fields of health care and security & justice.
In the health care sector we are one of the leading organizations, having introduced Results Based Financing (RBF), a methodology that was soon adopted by the government in its national health policy. We are particularly focusing on the improvement of sexual and reproductive health care services and the struggle against sexual and gender based violence.
Still, the fertility rate for each woman is close to 6 children. This is why we keep being strongly active in SRHR. Next to that, Cordaid addresses the following challenges: maternal and infantile mortality, which is among the highest in Africa; chronic diseases through support to medical schools; cervical cancer through innovative treatment and prevention; sexual and gender based violence through awareness raising and sensitization.
One of the main challenges of our security and justice program, considering the actual complex environment, is to make sure civil society has enough space to be alive and active and operate freely. This is why we strengthen capacities of civil society organizations that focus on issues of women and gender, access to justice, and youth related topics.
In Burundi, we have the following projects and programs:
Joint Program on Sexual and Reproductive Health
The program on sexual and reproductive health aims at delivering complete information and education on these topics to children and youth aged 10 to 24, whether at school or out-of-school.
Sexual and gender-based violence project
This project increases awareness, and helps to prevent sexual and gender-based violence. It also provides care to victims at community level.
Maternal and infantile health project
The maternal and infantile health project improves the supply of obstetric and neonatal care in hospitals and health centres by reinforcing the capacities of health providers.
Niche project
The Niche project strenghtens training capacities in medical schools to address basic health needs of the Burundian population.
The Strategic Partnership program
The Strategic Partnership program strengthens the lobbying, advocacy and communication capacities of local and national NGOs and associations and gives them the tools and skills to achieve their goals and mandates.
Joint Program on Sexual and Reproductive Health
The Joint Program on Sexual and Reproductive Health for youth and teenagers is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, through its embassy in Burundi. We work in a consortium in collaboration with Care International, Rutgers and UNFPA.
Sexual and gender based violence project
Our project against sexual and gender based violence is funded by the World Bank, through the Ministry of Health of Burundi.
Maternal and infantile health project
The project on maternal and infantile health receives funds from UNICEF.
Niche project
For supporting Burundian medical education in universities as part of the Niche project, Cordaid is part of a consortium with CINOP and the Maastricht University. This consortium is funded by the government of the Netherlands (through Nuffic).
The Strategic Partnership program
The Strategic Partnership program on Lobbying and Advocacy is being implemented in collaboration with six Burundian associations: AFRABU, AFJO, ADISCO and REJA on women, youth, peace and employment issues; AJCB and OAG for access to Justice. This ambitious project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
(© Full width image by Patrick Nicholson/Caritas)
