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A Wish for Children |
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humanitarian aid organization |
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A Wish for Children, Inc. 290 Willow Road Guilford, CT 06437
Phone: 203.458.6009 Fax. 866.608.6674 E-Mail: info@awishforchildren.org |
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To contact us: |
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©2006-2008 A Wish for Children, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Revised 01/02/08 |
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Burundi
Burundi is a small, inland African nation with the second-largest population density in Sub-Saharan Africa. Following the assassination of its first democratically elected president in 1993, a war raged between the 17 provinces’ ethnic groups. Relatively peaceful democratic elections were held in 2005. Most people live on farms near areas of fertile volcanic soil. The population is made up of three major ethnic groups — Hutu, Tutsi, and Batwa (or Twa). Although Hutus encompass 85% of the population, historically Tutsis have been politically and economically dominant. The Twa only make up 1% of the population.
The recent war has left many children orphaned and alone. Add this to the high death rate due to malaria, TB and AIDS, and Burundi is in crisis. It is not uncommon to find child-headed households which prevent the older children from attending school to care for their younger siblings. Elderly grandparents who planned on the care from their children and grandchildren for themselves in their senior years are now raising their orphaned grandchildren.
A Wish for Children does not see this as Burundi’s crisis, but rather as a world crisis. It is the responsibility of all citizens of the world to see that every child is raised in a loving, nurturing home. It is with this commitment to the world’s children that A Wish for Children has started the following humanitarian programs in Burundi.
· Batwa Elementary School
· Work/Child Care Program for Mothers
Our mission is to help the people of Burundi escape the bonds of poverty and despair to become a people with contemporary skills that can be used by them to become self-supporting and have the basic necessities of life.
Batwa Elementary School
The Batwa (Twa), a subgroup of the African Pygmies, are the earliest settlers of Burundi, originally living off the land as hunters and gatherers in the once extensive forests. But, as the forest were cut down — first by the Hutu for farming and grazing, then by the Tutsi for grazing — the Twa population began to decrease. Compared to other ethnic groups within Burundian society, the Twa hold an inferior position, due to their smaller size and customs, which are considered primitive by the Tutsi and Hutu.
The Twa are among the poorest of the poor and suffer a great deal of discrimination within African society. In Burundi, the Twa are a landless people. For many generations they made their living by crafting pottery out of clay which they dug from the river bank, and so they lived in largely temporary structures near rivers. Now that pottery is no longer an essential item for daily life in Burundi, they are even more destitute than they were. The Twa children are discouraged from going to school by the intense teasing of other children and the extreme discrimination of teachers who often regard Twa as mentally deficient and not capable of learning.
For things to change, Twa children need schooling, but they don’t have school schools or supplies. It costs about one dollar (USD) a month to send a child to school. That is a lot of money for a Twa family to raise. When they can get work, they often work in rice fields, 12 hours a day, to earn the equivalent of five cents (USD). They also run the risk of stepping on landmines while doing so as Burundi is a land that has been ravaged by civil way; land mines are prevalent.
A Wish for Children, working with elders in a Twa village in Burundi, is fundraising to build an elementary school for both boys and girls. We are starting with Kindergarten and First Grade, and we will add a grade a year until the school is finished. Children will be provided with school supplies and uniforms.
To donate to our school project, please do so here:
Work/Childcare Program for Mothers
Many children are raised in orphanages due to the death of their parents from malaria, TB and AIDS. They also brought there by mothers who have been deserted by their husbands and left with no means to support them A Wish for Children believes that by training mothers to work in fields of employment traditionally held by men — meaning jobs that pay enough to support the family — we can begin to end the repetitive cycle of mothers giving their children to others to raise because of extreme poverty. We believe children can and will remain with their families by empowering women to become financially independent of the men they depend so heavily upon for their children’s survival. By affording mothers the childcare they so desperately need in order to train to become electricians, plumbers, and other tradespersons, we can truly make a difference and keep families together. Our plan is to have mothers assist mothers by “banking time” for childcare. When a woman takes care of a job-training mother’s children, she earns “credits” toward childcare for when it is her turn to go to learn a trade. It’s women working together for the good of all women. A Wish for Children provides the funds and support for the mothers to learn a trade; the other mothers support her by taking care of her children, both while she trains and when she eventually works to support her family. By women taking care of women, they are freeing themselves from their dependence on men. They are able to keep and raise their children. |
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." |
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African Programs |
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Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. - Mother Theresa |
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To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world. --Unknown |
