We all know that free school meals have been proven to benefit teaching and learning in the UK. Your support enables Vertis Buildings to feed 350 children every school day in one of the world’s poorest countries.
Burundi is bordered by the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Rwanda and much of its western border is surrounded by the world’s second largest freshwater lake, Lake Tanganyika. With more than 10 million people in a 27,816 sqm area, this densely populated country is made up of ethnic groups including the Hutus, Tutsis and Twa (Batwa or pygmies).
Since its independence in 1962, Burundi has been plagued by civil war between the usually-dominant Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority. Like its neighbour Rwanda, but far less publicised, the country has suffered terrible genocides due to tribal tensions with over 400,000 fleeing and 300,000 people killed between 1993-2005.
Between 2005 and 2015 Burundi enjoyed a ten-year period of peace before conflict re-ignited on the back of the current President deciding to stand for a contested 3rd term in office. That led to most Non-Governmental Organisations leaving the country, and a massive dip in external aid. Another 400,000 people have fled the country and are languishing in refugee camps and although the situation is bleak, it is at least stable. Schools have restarted, but the needs are huge.
As a result of this ongoing conflict, unsurprisingly, the education system is straining to cope with providing sufficient schools for its growing population of young people. Teachers and resources are scarce, and class sizes can reach more than 1 teacher to every 100 pupil.
In 2008, Future Hope School in Gitega opened right next to Gitega Homes of Hope. It currently contains 567 pupils, from nursery classes up to Grade 11 and children learn subjects on the national curriculum (Kirundi, French, maths as well as English and computer studies). Many of the children have to travel 5-10 miles to school and are often too weak to learn, fainting in class.
The school found that food, or lack of, was having a huge impact on the children’s life and education. After the World Food Program pulled out of the country, Vertis Buildings stepped in and formed a long-term partnership with GLO and Future Hope Primary School to provide the funding necessary to ensure every child is fed and can carry on being educated becoming a new generation of shakers and shapers of this vibrant country. Vertis Buildings funding provides two meals a day, a mid-morning breakfast and lunch, for 350 children every school day all year-round.
