Mbuye Area Program

In Mbuye, rapid population growth and disputes over land rights and natural resources make it hard to build peace and strengthen families. Land shortages often force families into cramped homes that worsen hygiene and sanitation, and leave no room for children to play or relax. This often leads them far away from home and the safety of their parents.

The culture favours men, often meaning that children are not a priority. They eat last at meal times and also receive the least nutritious servings. Burundi has the highest number of malnourished children in all of Africa, which is also a direct result of poor health and living conditions. Women are not allowed to own land and have few ways of earning money, since farming is the main livelihood.

Climate change in Mbuye has affected the rainy season, impacting farmers. Major food crops such as beans, cassava, and sweet potatoes, as well as major money-making crops like banana, coffee, and pineapple, are hard to harvest and distribute when rains are unpredictable. Other disasters such as flash floods can damage the crops and result in the loss of food and income.

Livelihoods
Over 95% of people in Mbuye rely on farming and animal breeding to survive, however the rapidly growing population puts a strain on the land and resources, forcing families to farm smaller plots.

Crops such as banana and coffee, planted to bring in money, currently take up more than 65% of the good land, while crops meant to feed families, like cassava, beans, and sweet potatoes, exist on small plots with poorer quality soil. Since money-making crops have prevented severe food shortages during times of conflict, they are considered a priority.

In addition to this, a history of ongoing conflict in the country has led to disorganized food systems and dated farming techniques. There are few markets, and low food production perpetuates the poverty cycle.

Health
Health care in Mbuye is a key concern. Although health care is free for infants and pregnant women, the public health care system is limited. This leads to high infant and maternal mortality rates, as there are not enough doctors and nurses trained and available to provide medical attention. A high occurrence of diseases like malaria, HIV, and AIDS also leads to increased mortality rates.

Many children suffer from malnutrition. A lack of information on how to grow nutritious food for a balanced diet, as well as best practices for child feeding, like breast feeding and weaning, prevents families from providing a healthy lifestyle for children. In addition, lack of information regarding good sanitation and hygiene practices leads to a high number of preventable hygiene and water-borne diseases that affect the wellbeing of children.

Education
In Mbuye, children face many challenges to accessing education. Schools are unable to accommodate more students, as low state budgets mean there are few teaching materials and school materials available. The benefits of education seem irrelevant when it comes to the challenges in the community, and parents cannot afford to invest in school.

A lack of opportunities and tools to engage children in other developmental areas, like social events, sports, and community development projects, also affects the growth of Mbuye's children. Few partnerships between community, the government, and the local churches limit the effectiveness of problem solving efforts.