KURA KIBONDO project is a project launched, in 2023, by WWGVC under the funding of the Netherlands Embassy in Burundi, to fight against malnutrition. This project is being executed by HELLO-B Association in Mubimbi and Isare communes, Bujumbura province. A range of activities aiming at helping people to fight against children’s malnutrition based diseases are being carried out. Beneficiaries and local administration appreciate already the effects of this two-year project.
“Approximately one child in two suffers from chronic malnutrition” reports UNICEF. This problem results in stunted growth for the child and impaired development for the country as a whole. To counter this situation, the NGO “WWGVC” launched, with the funding of Netherlands Embassy in Burundi, a project titled “Kura Kibondo project”. Kura Kibondo project is the project aiming at preventing malnutrition and improving food security in vulnerable households with children identified as malnourished in the provinces of Bujumbura, Bubanza, Cibitoke and Rumonge. Now, it is on its third phase.
As one of the local non-profit organizations which are active in the sector of fighting against malnutrition, the HELLO-B Association was selected by WWGVC among the organizations which implement this project in Bujumbura province. This two-year project is then being implemented, since 2023, by the HELLO-B association in two communes of Bujumbura province such as Mubimbi and Isare. All the 32 hills in these two communes are concerned by this project whose direct beneficiaries are 402 children, aged between 0 and 59 months, screened as malnourished.
Among the key activities, there are the raising public awareness about malnutrition and how they have to do or to behave to fight against it and its effects. There is also a community-based care for children screened as malnourished, through learning and nutritional rehabilitation centers (FARN in French acronym).
For this project to be sustainable, the parents of screened malnourished children are grouped together with others in Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA) to get access to investment micro-credits that can help them obtain the means or income to provide their children with what they need to prevent them from becoming malnourished again.
Appreciations from the beneficiaries and the local administration
Both the beneficiaries and local administration appreciate the “Kura Kibondo” Project.
“As part of this project, HELLO-B association taught us how to prepare what we want to give our children to prevent them malnutrition. They showed us the high nutritive types of food we have to grow and give to our children to combat malnutrition in our families. Most of us, we were malnourished because of the ignorance. Now, we hope to eradicate malnutrition in our community”, said Nestor Ndabashinze, a parent of a child screened as malnourished and direct beneficiary of this project in Isare commune.
“Before this project, I didn’t have how to get a loan to launch my own small business. But now, I integrated the VSLA and got a small loan which helped me to launch a small trading business. If I get a profit, I buy what is necessary for my family according to the pieces of advice got from raising awareness sessions animated by HELLO-B. Now, my child got recovered of malnutrition based disease. He is healthy as others”, declares a VSLA woman member in Mubimbi commune and parent of a child previously screened as malnourished.
“HELLO-B is doing incredible things in our province especially in Mubimbi and Isare communes. We appreciate what it is doing for especially it included different key actors in the implantation of this project. Another aspect of this project we highly appreciate is the way this association teaches our population to fight against malnutrition with foods that they can grow in this province”, indicates the Advisor of the Governor of Bujumbura Province in charge of development.
As a reminder, HELLO-B is more concerned by creating for its beneficiaries in particular and all Burundians in general the good conditions to achieve their effective welfare.
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