We are delighted to be launching our report about the long term impacts of our Literacy and Financial Education Programme in Burundi which has been running for over 20 years.
This report is significant in both its scope and in its conclusions. Reflecting on 20 years of programme work in Burundi, it charts and measures cumulative impacts over that period in areas of literacy, poverty alleviation, girls' education, sustainable savings groups, employment creation and family and community cohesion.
The highlights include:
- Over 165,000 people (77% women) have participated in the programme in some of the most disadvantaged and hard to reach communities.
- Of those participants over 144,00 have learned to read and write and now have formal literacy qualification. This accounts for 2.9% of the adult literate population in Burundi.
- 7,500 participants accessed the parenting education element of the programme which has resulted in improved relationships between spouses and their children.
- 98% of participants interviewed report that their ability to now read the Bible has changed their relationship with God and given them a greater sense of belonging to their local church.
- 6,200 savings and loans associations have been created. Over 84% of those formed have continued and many replicated organically beyond the formal support of the programme.
- The economic and social impacts of the programme deliver on eight of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, alongside nurturing self worth, value and spiritual maturing; which in turn empowers participants to take on leadership within their churches and wider communities.
We have worked in partnership with Five Talents, Development Services International (DSI) and Lakarmissionen (LM) to create this sustainable programme, highlighting the impact of successful partnership working.
The programme is giving voice to the voiceless
Below you can read the summary report:
Here is the main report:
It has been more than a programme - a movement, given the very high levels of community ownership and alignment with women's and community priorities. This was clearly a programme designed with the 'grain' of the vision for change that people have for themselves. It has taken on a 'life of its own' as women and men whose lives have been improved, spread the word to others about the positive changes in their lives.