Burundi Nyanza
$13,000 needed of $23,752
Implementing Organization
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM)
Program Summary
Burundi is one of the world’s poorest and most food-insecure countries, with over 80% of the population living below the international poverty line and 52% of children under five chronically malnourished. The 2024 Global Hunger Index calls hunger severity in Burundi “alarming.”
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Burundi’s Integrated Food Security and Resilience project targets 14 communities in six areas of the Nyanza Commune in southern Burundi. The commune’s food security mirrors the national crisis. During the hungry season (October–January), vulnerable households typically eat only one daily meal, limited to staple foods like cassava or maize with beans, occasionally supplemented with vegetables. During the harvest season (March, April, June), consumption increases to three daily meals, still primarily staple foods for vulnerable households, though less vulnerable households add more vegetables and sweet potatoes.
The project aims to boost food security and household resilience by equipping local churches and alliances to mobilize initiatives, improve agricultural practices (like conservation agriculture via peer-led demonstration plots), increase food production, diversify livelihoods, strengthen financial management (through savings and loan groups), enhance business skills, and expand access to markets and resources. Key strategies involve fostering community cooperation through local alliances and promoting livestock rearing.