Strengthening Local Partnerships: A New Phase for War Child in Burundi

Our history in Burundi

Children in Burundi grow up with challenges borne from the country's complex history within the Great Lakes region, marked by civil war and violence. Over the past decades, internal conflicts have led to the displacement of thousands, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries such as Tanzania, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

War Child began its programming in Burundi in 2011, establishing a country office in Bujumbura to respond to the needs of children affected by conflict. At that time, War Child's priority was internally displaced children and caregivers, and returnees.

War Child worked closely with like-minded collectives, government ministries, local and international NGOs such as FVS AMADE Burundi, AIDE, HealthNet TPO, Jesuit Refugee Service, the International Refugee Commitee and other partners to diversify its responses and support thousands of children.

Toward localisation

In recent years, Burundi has seen a reduction in internal conflict and shown encouraging progress in terms of stability. While the country still hosts around 260,000 refugees from the region, it is no longer classified as a humanitarian setting on a global scale.

Because of these positive changes, War Child made the decision to transition to a partnership-based model in the country. That means working with local and international NGOs in Burundi to adopt our evidence-based methodologies (EBMs), to ensure a sustainable and lasting impact for children.

In December 2024, War Child fully transitioned to partnership work with no physical office or presence in Burundi. However, our engagement with partners continues through a small team in Burundi and our regional office in Kampala, Uganda.

15 years of impact for children

Over the past decade and a half, our teams and partners implemented numerous impactful projects in Burundi. Highlights include our protection and psychosocial interventions that safeguarded and supported children and caregivers, our educational programmes that helped reintroduce children to learning, and our vocational training that equipped youth with skills for economic self-sufficiency.

In Burundi's Cibitoke province – home to thousands of returnees from the Democractic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania – an environmental disaster combined with political and social unrest created a perfect storm in 2022.

Children who had already been forced to flee their homes suffered a further loss when their new homes were destroyed by flash floods and landslides.

As part of War Child’s TeamUp intervention, children around the most affected areas were supported to manage their emotions and find a sense of calm and security amidst the chaos.

Each session focused on a theme ranging from fear and anger to assertiveness, respect and intimidation.

1,513 children benefited from these movement-based mental health and psychosocial support sessions, which helped to improve their psychosocial wellbeing and social connectedness, reducing their stress and helping them reestablish positive relationships.

War Child's local office in Burundi has also had a profoundly positive influence on the lives of nearly 8,000 out-of-school children by successfully reintegrating them into the education system.

Through collaboration with School management committee, child protection committees, local authorities, and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA's), War Child distributed essential school kits and materials that reduced children’s needs to engage in non-educational activities such as farming and extensive household duties.

The project saw most children return to school within a year. It provided them with a safe learning environment and increased chances of completing their education. Read more on this success story here.

Additionally, War Child's efforts led to over 31,000 children obtaining birth certificates, granting them access to health care, education, and legal protection.

While many factors are still at play including insecure regional dynamics, War Child's programmes have significantly lowered the risks of abuse, exploitation, and physical injury for these vulnerable children, helping them get back on track and build a brighter future.

Shaping the future: Impact through partners 

While the situation in the country may have changed, we remain committed to supporting children in Burundi affected by conflict. Moving forward, War Child’s approach will focus on providing technical support and capacity sharing with local partners rather than maintaining a full operational presence. We will also provide technical support to international NGOs who are implementing our EBMs like TeamUp.

Despite the ongoing challenges in Burundi, civil society organisations in the country remain committed to responding to the dire needs of communities. War Child will collaborate with these organisations in the pursuit of our commitment to localisation.