Give street children in Burundi a future

Erica is 14 years old and she is narrating her journey with all you, from being on the streets to being reintegrated into school and having a safe shelter.

 "I have three younger sisters and my parents are divorced.  I used to study in Class 1 (Primary) but was influenced by my friends to quit school and join them on the streets as this would help me earn some money.

I spent two years on the streets. During the day, we would be chased away from the police and we were concerned about our security at night so we would just roam around. I was not happy with the street life and always wished to go back to school. One fine day, my friends headed to an organization called New Generation, I didn’t know where I was going and I just decided to follow them. We were part of the Outreach Program. My friends left but I stayed back.

In July 2021, a cart hit me and my right foot got injured and infected. New Generation took care of my medical expenses and of me. I stayed back with the girls who are already taken care of by the organization. Since then, I now have a shelter and back to school. I’m happy to be at school and living with girls my age. I’m sure my Mum would be proud of me’’.

We thank each one of you who have regularly supported us, through Street Action, in helping us create an impact through the work we do, and those who are new supporters and have provided substantial sums to continue reaching out to street-connected children.

We are truly grateful.

Issa is one of the street-connected children who has been attending the Outreach Program at the New Generation Burundi (NGB) centre. The organization provides psycho-social support to these kids with a purpose of healing their internal wounds. We encourage them to discover and develop their inner potential. They have food and also benefit from a hygiene session.

Issa left his home due to the tough conditions he had to face. He ended up on the streets where he admitted life that his life on the streets is very bad and he sometimes begs for food the whole day and ends up with nothing to eat at night.

He got into an accident in May 2021.NGB has been able to cover the medical expenses and take personal care of the child.

His dream is to become a footballer in the future, pursue his education just like any other kid and go back home.

We thank each one of you who have regularly supported us, through Street Action, in helping us create an impact through the work we do, and those who are new supporters and have provided substantial sums to continue reaching out to street-connected children. With your support, we can help more street-connected children like Issa who are still facing challenges being on the streets, who need medical assistance in case of emergencies and moreover having their basic rights met such as having access to food and education.

We are truly grateful.