About Burundi
Burundi has a population of approximately 8.4 million and a land area roughly one third the size of Tasmania. 90% of the population rely on subsistence farming, while 68% live below the poverty line.
The Needs
- Housing
- Education
- Training facilities
- Medical facilities
- Family structure for widows and orphans
- Employment
The Vision
Through tax-deductible donations from corporate Australia, schools, churches and families, our vision is to build villages, each consisting of 15 houses that will house 15 widows and approximately 90 orphans.
Each house will provide shelter for 6 orphans and a house mother/parent that will give a sense of structured family life where once there was none. A school for 300 students servicing the village and the surrounding population, a TAFE workshop for carpentry, metalwork and sewing, as well as a medical centre are also part of the vision, and will serve to develop a more integrated community.
All of the building materials will be sourced locally, boosting the local economy. The building work will be completed by the local workforce, generating much needed employment, and fostering a sense of inclusion within the wider community.
Villages of Life is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) and is the bricks and mortar component of the wider vision. Youth for Christ Burundi is there to provide for the emotional, spiritual and everyday needs of the widows and orphans housed in the village. Their vision is to raise up a generation of Godly leaders through leadership training.
Villages of Life aims to build an entire village every three years.
