Livelihoods
Families are unable to grow enough food to sustain themselves, let alone surplus to sell for income. Erratic rainfall and frequent droughts are a major cause, but there are other factors that slow down agricultural production. These include soil infertility, and erosion due to overgrazing and excessive cutting of trees for firewood and lumber. Also, communities don't have adequate access to quality farming supplies like improved seeds and fertilizers. There are not enough qualified agricultural extension workers to advise the farmers on effective farming practices.
Health
Health care services and immunization are free for children under the age of five and expectant mothers. Most families in Mushikamo, however, are unable to take advantage of this opportunity because they live very far from health centres. Parents are unable to take their children to health centres when they are sick, and only 15% of births are attended by health workers. Even the families who live closer to health centres can't get adequate medical care because the centres are poorly equipped. They lack medicines, electricity and water, and many of the staff are not fully qualified.
This lack of health services also means that community health education isn't available, so parents aren't informed about the signs of malnutrition in their children. Malnutrition is rampant, and the stunting rate is more than 50%. This is partly due to low food production, but also because families don't eat enough food variety. They tend to sell off the beans, bananas, eggs, and meat they produce, keeping only sweet potatoes and avocados for the family to eat. Unfortunately, malnourished children are susceptible to illnesses like malaria, which is the number one cause of death in Burundi.
Families mainly get their drinking water from springs and rivers, and some have to walk long distances for it. As there is not enough water to meet even basic needs, hygiene and sanitation practices are poor. This spreads disease, especially among children, who suffer from frequent diarrhea and infections.
Education
In Mushikamo, primary education is free, and there are schools throughout the community. 87% of children are enrolled in school, however these institutions are overcrowded, with most pupils attending in shifts. Sometimes 100 children are packed into a classroom, with a single teacher whose instruction often reaches only the first few rows of pupils. Due to this lack of space, children start school late, at age 8 or 9, or sometimes older. There is one preschool, with room for only 42 pupils, so almost all children start primary school without any preparation.
Unfortunately, only 65% of boys and 83% of girls complete primary school. Boys abandon school to go to cities in search of jobs, and girls drop out to work as babysitters or domestic helpers. While the government is trying hard to expand schools and hire more teachers, there is still much improvement needed in the education system.
Schools have management committees, but they are not adequately trained to effectively improve the educational environment. Very few parents or community members are involved in the education process.
Child Protection & Participation
Preschool-age children are often left at home while their parents are working, and play with little supervision until the age four or five, when they can start helping with chores like fetching water. Years of civil war have traumatized children, and left them living under unsafe conditions. Most cases of child exploitation, neglect, and abuse are neither reported nor addressed. Children in the Mushikamo community need their voices to be heard.
