The Murakaza school is a beacon of hope for 230 children and their families who live near Bujumbura, the capital. It provides basic literacy and life skills to children and offers social services and vocational training to their mothers. Recent floods badly damaged the structure which needed urgent repairs. With your help the school was rebuilt, but it still needs your support to continue to offer the children a start in life. www.globalgiving.org/projects/a-start-in-life-for-burundian-children/
One of the poorest countries in the world, Burundi has faced civil unrest since the Spring 2015 election. The political turmoil has left children to bear the brunt of the crisis. SAB is a slum outside Bujumbura, made up of abandoned industrial buildings. Its inhabitants survive of casual labour and illegal activities. Before the construction of the Murakaza school, most children would spend their days on the streets, begging or stealing and being prey to violence, trafficking and prostitution.
Murakaza is a safe haven: children can learn, play and just be kids again. We teach them literacy and life skills and offer counseling to their families. We mentor them to integrate the national school system. But the school, damaged by floods, is about to crumble. The roof is leaking and it is currently unsafe. With your help, we'll rehabilitate the existing structure and build a second classroom, to provide better learning environment to our 158 pupils and their 3 teachers.
With a new and bigger school, we will be able to accommodate more nursery and primary students. These are children who will go on to become productive members of society instead of swelling the numbers of disgruntled idle youths who are a powder keg for political instability. Since 2012, Murakaza has already enabled 1,100 students to integrate the national school system and 250 to obtain a birth certificate, making them full citizens of Burundi. We'd love for you to help us reach 2,000.
